Hopeless Wanderers
by megamorr
Summary: She was a sanctioned knight, he a mysterious stranger. Two unlikely allies joined forces to protect the Dragomir line, but what happens when their loyalties are tested and when one moonlit battle alters the young warriors' lives indefinitely. A medieval VA tale.
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1**

" _Long ago, and miles away, there was a young princess, orphaned in a time of war. She was called upon to lead the armies of her kingdom, for there was no other. She was the fiercest of warriors, beloved of her people, unstoppable on the field. She rode out day after day and saved her subjects in battle after battle._

 _But every night, when the fighting was done, she was alone. Until one day, a peasant boy came looking to join her army. Lonely and angry and fierce as she. For the first time, she found that when she strode out onto the field to save others, there was someone at her side...who had come to save her."_

 **Chapter 1**

 **RPOV**

 **Song:** Past Lives by BORNS, That Sea The Gambler by Gregory Alan Isakov

A storm was bubbling in the sunset, a mix of charcoals, pinks, and golds. The heavy rain tended to make others restless, but not me. It was a sign of new beginnings, the sins of yesterday washed away leaving a new path yet to be conquered. As I sat on my perch at the edge of the woods, I wondered what new adventures waited on the other side of that storm.

A cool gust of wind whipped through my loose hair and my legs dangled carelessly over the edge of the cliffside as I inhaled the watery scent in the air. I leaned my hands back against the sturdy rocks under me and tilted my head to admire the oncoming clouds. As the faint signs of thunder neared I let out a defiant howl, the clashing sounds of my cries and the beating drum of the storm echoing through the small ravine.

I waited for the last remnants of my shouts to dull down before finally standing up. The sun was quickly ending its descent and I knew it was time for me to head back. I normally dreaded this part of the night, when I would no longer see or feel the sun's warm rays, but the mischievous storm spurred me on that night and I leaped through the woods back to camp, feeling rejuvenated and alive.

I let my hands hang beside me as I ran, my fingertips brushing against the plush moss and slick vines that covered the passing trees. Loose soil and leaves clung to the bottom of my dress, but I didn't care. I wouldn't be in it much longer anyways—the nuisance. I only had to wear it when I wasn't down at the camp, and despite the churning weather, I was needed to welcome some new recruits tonight.

Most young ladies my age would be flabbergasted by the condition of my tattered hem and faded skirt. But I wasn't your typical girl. I was a warrior, a protector, a Guardian through and through. My attire wasn't something that I would put at the top of my list of worries. Not when there were creatures of the night lurking nearby, endless wars to wage, and loved ones to protect.

I finally slowed from my sprint when I made it to the edge of the lush forest line. I paused for a moment, taking in the sight of the enormous stone wall surrounding the castle at St. Vlad's Valley. It was built for protection from our enemies and was impenetrable. Many had tried to take it down and failed, but that didn't stop me from always being on high alert. There were some weak points that were only known to a select few of us for now, and I knew as long as our enemies grew and their methods advanced, it would only stand to protect us for so long.

As I walked through the valley I could feel the hairs on my arms start to stand up and sensed the closeness of the storm. An excited grin pulled at my cheeks and I quickened my pace, looking back at the tree line one last time to admire its emerald beauty.

"Rose!" A shrill voice at the front gate snapped my focus forward. I could see my sister's pale blonde hair blowing in the increasing wind, her arms wrapped protectively around her slim waist as she stood at the threshold of the gate's opening. "It's nearly dark! I was getting worried."

"Don't bother yourself, Liss, I stayed near the wards." Well, not the total truth. But there was no reason to get her more worked up than she already was.

"And look at your dress," she gasped. "Those stains will never come out."

My excited grin turned sly as I shook the skirt of my plain, wool dress to try and rid it of some of the filth. "There, good as new." Lissa rolled her eyes at me, seeing how the thick muck had refused to budge, but she gave up on the fleeting argument knowing that there was really no point. When I reached the gate she immediately looped her arm with mine and pulled me inside.

"So, where were you sneaking off to so early this time? To meet a _boy_ perhaps," she wiggled her eyebrows at me suggestively. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Lissa, you know very well that there are no men here I'd even consider having a secret rendezvous in the woods with." A few passersby waved as we walked closer to the castle and Lissa politely smiled in return.

"Oh please! There are plenty of men here. Guardian Ashford is handsome and from what I hear, _very_ into you," she leaned in with a singsong note to her voice.

"Seriously," I huffed back. "Mason and I haven't snuck off into the woods together since we were kids. And I'm pretty sure the last time was when we were nine years of age and he cried when I pushed him out of a tree." Probably a low blow, given Mason and I were still close friends, but I had to take drastic measures when distracting Lissa from her matchmaking ways.

"Well, not all men can be as strong and brave as you Sir Hathaway." Lissa batted her lashes and nudged my shoulder, causing us both to giggle at my official title. Since Guardian Alberta Petrov stepped down from the head of our cavalry I had been knighted and assigned the role of Field Marshall to our troops. I had been leading the men for a couple years already, after excelling in my training and proving myself in battle, but making it official felt damn good.

"But really Rose," Lissa continued. "When are you going to start having a little fun? You are so serious these days, and before you know it we'll be promised off to some foreign strangers. We need to enjoy our youth while it lasts!"

"I do have fun!" Lissa's brows rose to her forehead at my outburst as she looked down at me unconvinced. I tried to think about the last time I'd done something even slightly rebellious and amusing but quickly came up short. Growing up, Lissa and I would get into all sorts of trouble, mainly because of me. It was widely known that I was the reckless and she was the cautious; the true brains behind most of our rambunctious antics and the first to jump at any sign of adventure. But immediately after our parents and brother, Andre died, I threw myself into my training and was determined to protect my sister at all costs. She was the last true Dragomir and the next ruler of our kingdom, not to mention my best friend. I loved her with all my heart and would gladly throw myself into a thousand battles if that meant she was safe. But ever since our Uncle Victor had insinuated it would soon be time for us to marry and for Lissa to officially take the throne, our roles were on the verge of reversal and she was looking for any excuse to do something reckless.

"Ugh fine, so I've been a little busier than usual lately, but the raids have been more sporadic, we've got recruits coming in from all over, and...and now I'm rambling."

"Yes, yes you are," Lissa chuckled.

I squeezed her arm and pulled her closer to me. "I just want to make sure you're safe. That everyone's safe. And if that means having to work a little extra hard, then so be it."

Lissa opened her mouth to argue, but as we neared the entrance of the Dragomir castle I slipped my arm out of hers and stepped ahead as I pressed my back into the tall wooden doors. "Well, as much as I'd love to stay and chat I have not one, but several strong, brave _men_ to go not-so-secretly meet with."

"But Rose—"

"Besides," I added as I pushed the doors open. "I wouldn't want to get my dress wet."

"What are you—" before she could finish, rain began to pour down from the sky and I slammed the doors shut to trap her outside. I sniggered to myself at her muffled pounding and shrieks on the other side of the door and scurried towards the stairs before someone could let her back in. "How's that for never having any fun," I muttered under my breath.

I slid down the smooth hall and was almost to my room when I heard, "Princess Hathaway!"

I knew before even turning around who the admonishing tone belonged to. No one who actually knew me referred to me by that title other than Lissa's handmaiden. Well, I guess she was technically mine too, but we had given up on that relationship long ago after she finally tired of my constant pranks on her, freeing me from her annoying pestering. The snapping turtle in her bathtub was ultimately the last straw. "Yes, Miss Kirova. And what is it I can do for you on this lovely night," I replied dryly.

"Were you out in public in that godforsaken excuse for a dress? It is _appalling_ for a Princess to be seen in public in such a state!" Preceding my knighthood, I had been deemed with the title "Princess", a term I hated even more than Lissa did.

"Well, then you're really not going to like what I put on next," I goaded.

"Don't tell me you are still running out there with the Dhampir men playing soldier?" My many conquests in battle were anything but 'playing', as she so crassly put it, but I refused to take her bait and let my temper flare.

"Why Miss Kirova, haven't you heard? I've been made the new Field Marshall, therefore excusing me from whatever _Princess_ duties you have cooked up in that little head of yours." A satisfied grin rested on my face as her cheeks burned with heat.

"That is preposterous," she squealed. "The battlefield is no place for a lady, even one as unruly as you! Why can't you be more like your sister?" I remained in place, casually leaning against my door, and seeing that she wasn't going to elicit any kind of reaction from me the old, pouty woman stormed off mumbling reproofs all the way down the hall.

I let out a sigh and pushed my way into my room. It wasn't the first, and certainly wouldn't be the last, time I'd heard someone compare me to Lissa. Understandably so. She was the epitome of a Dragomir Princess. Her signature pale blonde hair and striking jade green eyes pinned her as Dragomir blood, but she also held her own unprecedented beauty that drew you in like a warm spring day. However, it wasn't just her beauty that made her remarkable, she was also graceful, polite, and above all else—selfless.

Not to say that I was on the other end of the spectrum when it came to attractiveness. My dark, foreign eyes and beyond healthy curves were a deadly combination in the warfare of easily influenced men—something I discovered at a very young age. When violence wasn't appropriate or pragmatic, I had found my discernibly unique features to be quite useful in getting what I wanted. Yet, another thing that Lissa would never do.

My mother was especially fond of that familiar phrase. Although I had the official title and the kingdom considered me part of the Royal family, technically, I wasn't. My mother was a renowned Guardian over in the eastern front and had spent the majority of her life fighting against our enemy, the Strigoi. She started her training and career here, at St. Vladimir's Valley, and had been a personal Guardian to Eric Dragomir himself. Over the years she became very close with the royal family, so when she unexpectedly fell pregnant, the Moroi saints that they were lent their help. Apparently, my true father was someone dangerous that I needed to be kept from. She was worried that if he found out about his child, that it would bring war to our peaceful lands. Eric and Rhea agreed to take me in as their own and raised me as part of the family. I still had my mother's name, since my obvious Dhampir lineage would prevent me from being a true Dragomir, but Eric took up the role of my Moroi father and even gave me the official title of Princess, to show our kingdom that he had claimed his bastard instead of shamed it.

Eventually, my mother moved to a nearby country that hugged the shoreline to bring aid against Viking invaders. I would receive letters from her from time to time but hadn't actually seen her in ages. I would've thought that she of all people would understand why I wanted to fight alongside our troops and one day lead them, but she saw it as me giving up a ripe opportunity for a different life and was constantly condescending me.

The only ones who really supported me were the Dragomirs. I owed those Moroi everything, even though they never saw it that way. Eric and Rhea had consistently assured me that I genuinely was part of their family and shouldn't feel obligated to repay their kindness, but it was a hard thing to shake. I had witnessed firsthand what troubles life could bring a lowly Dhampir girl, and the Dragomirs had saved me from a truly disturbing fate. As I changed out of my heavy dress and into more practical clothing, I traced the sigil on my custom tunic, a gift from Rhea back when I was still training to be a Guardian. I had come home frustrated the day before because my skirt kept getting in the way during hand-to-hand combat. I had sulked in my room all night and didn't even bother coming out for dinner—a very rare occurrence for me. The next day that tunic and a slim pair of trousers were waiting at the foot of my bed with a note from Rhea that read: _Show them what you are made of_. And I did.

Not long after, we were all in a horrific accident while out on an excursion and we never saw them again. Lissa had taken it extremely hard. So much so, that I was worried she would never recover. During the sleepless nights at her bedside watching over her, I promised over and over, to myself—and to Rhea—that I would keep her safe. From that moment on she would always come first and I would do what it took to make sure no harm ever came to her.

After slipping into my training gear and securing the clasp of my silver necklace around my neck, a trinket I never went without, I slung my sheepskin cloak over my shoulders and headed down towards the camp. The rain was in full force now, but it didn't bother me in the least. I welcomed its roar.

I resisted the urge to howl at the sky again and dug my boots into the thick mud as I approached the other Guardians. They had set up a makeshift awning to keep their parchments dry as the recruits walked up one-by-one to give their name and position.

"Next," one of the Guardians shouted.

"Hey Rose! I mean _Marshall_ ," Eddie Castile greeted with a smile as he walked out from under the covering to join me in the rain. "I'm surprised to see you out here tonight. Now that you're officially in charge, this kind of stuff is below your rank." His golden hair quickly turned dark under the storm's heavy pour, but like me, he didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah, well I had to make sure the likes of you had things under control. Even something as simple as taking names has proven to be a bit of a challenge," I mock-scolded.

"Aw c'mon, Rose. That was one time," Eddie practically whined, causing my serious facade to crack. "And I'll have you know I've learned how to read _and_ write since then."

I gave him a reassuring smile to let him know I was only codding him. "I know, I know. I just wanted to see what we were working with firsthand." Even though welcoming recruits wasn't technically within my job responsibilities, I was always interested in the new faces coming in. The look on a man's face could tell you more than any words that would ever seep out of his mouth. Some stood proudly, their chests puffed out and a self-assured look adorning their features—which usually told me they had close to no experience in the field whatsoever. Others looked worn from travel or slightly distrusting as they took in their new surroundings. Reasonably so, since the Dragomir Castle had a way of coming off as rather menacing to those who hadn't seen it before.

Our stones were darker than most, giving off an almost blackened, scorched look at night and at the top of the main tower sat two massive dragon-shaped gargoyles. They were intricately carved with tails winding down the sides of the stone structure and gaping mouths that seemed to roar into the night. They were meant to signify strength and power, but their threatening features were only accentuated by the flashes of lightning in the distance.

The heavy drops began tapering off, making my line of sight a little more clear and I moved towards the awning to get a closer look at our list. Next to some of the names were rankings and titles of knighthood, where others had generic names, signifying they were not sired or claimed by someone of noble relation. But no matter what class or skill-level they were at, we all shared one commonality. We were all Dhampir. Half human, half Moroi. Born and bred to wage wars against the Strigoi and protect our Moroi brethren. Without them, we wouldn't exist—and without us, they wouldn't survive.

Becoming a Guardian meant you had sacrificed your life to the cause and sealed it with a promise. It was considered an honor amongst our kind. Many of us spent the first sixteen years of our lives training to become one and some excelled even further to work their way up in the rankings, as I did. In the end, though, someone with the highest rank could be brought down just as easily as an inexperienced novice if they weren't careful. Strigoi were vicious, powerful, and had an immortal lust that could only be satiated by blood. We had to train for every possible scenario and be prepared to face the worst.

As I continued to look over the list I saw a few names I recognized. Dhampirs a couple years below me that had finally finished their training and were joining the ranks. I felt equally proud and saddened by this, knowing that many of them wouldn't survive their first year.

"Next," the Guardian seated below me bellowed.

My finger continued to skim across the parchment of names as I tried to dedicate them to memory. It was an old habit of Alberta's that had rubbed off on me somewhere down the line. She had told me how important it was to know every single member of the troops within our charge, whether they were with us for five years, or five weeks. These Dhampirs had vowed to give their lives to protecting the Moroi and were entrusting us to lead them. At the very least we owed them the honor of carrying their memory with us.

Alberta could hear a person's name once and never forget it again—a skill I had unfortunately yet to master. However, I had hoped that by getting a head start during registration, it would be easier for them to sink in as we began training over the next few days.

Just as I was nearing the end of the second column of names, a dark shadow crept up the parchment, shielding the remaining signatures from my line of sight. Slightly annoyed, I glanced over to my left to see that the nearby torches were still well protected under the awning, but something—or _someone_ —was blocking their light.

Now, most Guardians are in impeccable shape. We are much stronger and a lot of the time more defined than the majority of humans, thanks to our hybrid genes. Not to mention, if Viking invaders weren't enough to keep you in shape, then Strigoi sure as hell were. But this guy...he was one of the largest men I had ever seen. His shoulders were covered by a hooded cloak made out of a material I had never seen before, but the shadowed outline from the flickering light gave away their broadness and impressive stature. His legs were the size of some of the tree trunks that I had run through mere hours before, and I would have half a mind to bet they were just as sturdy as well. I was instantly curious who this Dhampir was, and what skill level he would be bringing to our cause, but his hood was blocking his face from my covert method of discovery.

"Name here," the Guardian beside me reclined his neck to look up at the towering giant in front of him. I subtly studied their interaction, waiting for the moment when he would reveal himself to me. His hand extended out to the tattered quill and he folded his torso down to reach the wooden table, letting the light shine on us once again. It surprised me how graceful that small movement was for a man of his size and I wondered if it was coincidence or training. The quill scratched along the parchment as he wrote out his name, and despite my curiosity of it, I kept my eyes glued to the top of his damp hood, patiently waiting.

Sensing my sights on him, the quill stopped mid-stroke and his hidden face slowly rose up to mine. Now that his tall form was no longer blocking the lantern I could see his features a little more clearly, but was disappointed yet again. Despite the fact that his stare was pointedly glued to mine, where the others I had deciphered were fixed in various directions, he was impossible to read. Surely a man of that size would be at least a little bit cocky and self-assured, but he gave nothing away. It was as if there was a stone wall where his expression should be. Somehow, it was frustrating beyond belief yet undeniably intriguing at the same time. There was a heaviness in his eyes that made most people want to look away first, but I could hold my own.

Mimicking his stoniness, I hid all emotion from my demeanor and met his challenging stare. As I continued to search his face for any usual identifiers, I felt drawn to those eyes. Their color was also hidden from me due to the lack of light in front of him, but there was something about them. Something...dangerous.

His eyelids closed over them, snapping me out of my dazed state, and when they opened again his focus was back on the parchment. When he finished signing his name, the mysterious stranger handed the quill back to my fellow Guardian and turned to walk off.

"Welcome to the Dragomir troops, Guardian Belikov." The stranger craned his head back at the sound of his name and nodded to the seated Guardian who had spoken it. His eyes flicked to me one last time before he strode off into the rain, the dim light of the passing torches finally revealing their molten brown color.

Men continued to line up as the night continued, the signatures growing one by one, but my eyes kept finding their way back to the puzzling stranger's name scrawled on the left side of the page. It didn't matter how many times I looked at it because immediately after learning it, I knew—this was one name I wouldn't forget. _Dimitri Belikov_.

* * *

 **A/N** : As you will soon find out, many of these characters will act OOC and will have a different fate than the original VA series. The story will be broken up into two parts and is inspired by the tale 'The Death of Love' which is what we started off with. You'll see more excerpts of this tale from time to time ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 1 Chapter 2**

 **RPOV**

 **Song: Elephants by Warpaint**

 _The world was a blur, armored figures without faces were surrounded by a light haze. I walked by them, hoping to finally find someone I recognized, but each was the same. Nameless faces and faceless names that would soon be forgotten. I touched a few of their metallic shoulders as they passed me, hoping to spark some kind of familiarity, but they continued strolling by without even a glance in my direction._

 _The crowd grew and I found myself in the middle, feeling trapped amongst the stark warriors. When suddenly, I spotted a gap in the masses where a tall figure stood unmoving between them. I walked closer to it, roughly pushing through the slow-moving hoard of troops and trying my best to keep my sights fixed on where the statuesque figure remained. The closer I got, the sharper the image became. His face was still blurred, like the others, but his eyes..._

 _Those eyes._

 _Their deep brown gaze was glued to me, reading me piece by piece. I finally made my way to stand right in front of him and as I looked up I had this unnerving feeling that they were somehow looking deep into the darkest parts of me. I reached up to touch him, hoping that the contact would finally reveal his face to me but as my fingers brushed his chin I felt a smooth, hard surface where his skin should be. I backed away, startled by the coolness under my touch, only to find that he wasn't a man at all—but a stone statue._

 _His boulder-like features began to twitch, making an eerily cracking noise and suddenly his face contorted from that of a man to a dragon. The gargoyle snarled at me, now red-eyes beaming brightly causing my body to jolt and sending me careening to the ground._

 _When I landed, I had expected to fall onto the plush grass from the training field but instead, I hit a hard, sharp surface. I looked up to see that the gargoyle was gone, but I was surrounded by another familiar scene. My hand slid on something warm and wet, and when I pulled it out from under me and up to my face—it was covered in blood. Soft wails filled the air and I darted my head around for her, but my body was bloodied and broken, unable to move. My left foot dangled limply off the stone ledge and I could hear the rapids crashing below._

" _Lissa," my raspy voice pushed out. Her cries intensified, and I gripped my wet hand onto the side of the cliff to hold on. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to wake myself from this recurring nightmare and took in a deep breath._

My eyes shot open to reveal my dimly lit bedroom and a pang of relief rang through me. I launched out of bed and raced down the hall to Lissa's room. I could hear her soft cries echoing off of the stone walls and increased my pace. Without warning, I burst through her chamber doors and shot over to her bed. Gripping her shoulders, I called out to her, "Lissa. Lissa, wake up. It's just a dream."

She thrashed against me at first, but not long after her jade eyes opened, tears leaking out of them and streaking across her already wet face. She looked around her room, slightly confused for a moment, before landing her sights on me and pulling me in for a tight hug. I held her against me and smoothed her hair back.

"Shhh. It's alright Lissa. You're safe. We're safe." My words were meant to calm her, but I found myself using that familiar phrase to slow my racing pulse as well. Being pulled into her dreams wasn't as uncommon as I would've liked—especially when it was of that day. The day that I had died.

I continued rubbing her back as she came down from her nightmare—or memory I should say.

Every so often when the weather was right, Eric and Rhea used to organize an outing for us and Andre where we would all take our horses to a nearby quarry and enjoy the afternoon air. The sun didn't burn the Moroi alive like it did Strigoi, but it was still menacing, so on a particularly cloudy day, the Dragomirs indulged in taking advantage of seeing their kingdom in the daylight.

We rode for hours around the grounds before finally settling at the quarry near sunset. The clouds lit up in the most beautiful golden color and we couldn't help but stop and admire it. It was the last happy moment we had all shared together as a family. As we rested there, gazing at the serene scenery, the ground suddenly shifted and the horses went wild. The soil below us crumbled and Eric, Rhea, and Andre flew backward into the gaping opening. For some forgotten reason, Lissa and I had shared my horse that day and were positioned at the back of the group. I could see the crater spreading toward us and instinctively threw Lissa from the horse's back before she would topple in as well. After falling, I landed hard on one of the cliff side's ledges, shattering my back and slicing my side open on one of the sharp protruding rocks. I had never seen so much blood in my life and panic raced through my veins, only causing the red liquid to spill out that much faster. The last thing I remembered before completely blacking out from blood-loss and fear, was a blurred vision of Lissa climbing down the rocky edge towards me.

"I couldn't save them," she whimpered into my nightgown and gripped her quilts as I smoothed her hair. "They were too far."

After the accident, I woke days later in my room surrounded by chirurgeons and healers only to find out the rest of the Dragomirs had perished in the fall. Everyone thought it was a miracle I was alive—but Lissa and I knew the truth.

Moroi are able to access the elements of the world: air, fire, water, and earth. When they become a certain age they eventually specialize in a particular element and can use their abilities to control it. Many of the Moroi in St. Vlad's Valley were air and earth users, which was why our forests were so lush and beautiful, but Lissa was special. There was a fifth element known to Moroi, although much rarer. It was called Spirit.

Lissa and I had been testing our theory that she may be able to access Spirit for a couple of months before the accident since she had yet to specialize in any other element. We created small, harmless trials here and there, but the day of our fall, Spirit had burst through her. She climbed down to the ledge I had landed on and used her magic to heal me and bring me back from death's dark clutches. Since that day we had been bonded together by more than family and friendship. Other than being sucked into her dreams now and again, I could also hear her thoughts. And when her emotions were heightened, I would be literally pulled into her mind and could see through her eyes.

Lissa's crying had finally settled and she slowly peeled herself out of my embrace. Wiping her dainty hands across her face she said, "Thanks, Rose. Sometimes the dreams are so real it's like it is happening all over again."

"I know," I replied solemnly. "I saw."

Her eyes shot to mine. "It happened again? Oh Rose, I'm so sorry. I wish there was a way for me to control it."

"What? And let me get a decent night's sleep," I retorted sarcastically. "No way. I live for these days."

"Yeah well just wait for the day you appear in my head while I'm at the garderobe. You won't be so chipper then."

"Christ Liss! Way to paint a disturbing visual," I grimaced. "You just _had_ to go there." Lissa started to giggle and despite still being slightly horrified, I couldn't help but smile at her lightened mood.

"Come on you churle, get dressed. I'll join you for breakfast before your meeting with Victor."

"Excuse me," Lissa coughed out at my insult. "You're the one who walks around here dressed like a stable boy!"

I laughed at her saucy attitude as she rose from her bed and headed to snag one of her eloquent dresses. I would be going straight to the camp to start training that night, so I didn't even bother with dressing up before we walked down to the dining hall; even though the majority of my gowns were as modest and bare as they came. I was never one to be put on airs and hated adorning all that heavy material. Luckily, Lord Dashkov didn't mind my less feminine choice in clothing when we met in the castle.

A few others close to us knew about Lissa's abilities and the bond we shared, including Victor Dashkov. He was the Dragomirs' closest friend and ally, and our official Ward until Lissa took a husband to claim her rightful place on the throne. We had grown up calling him Uncle Victor, even though there was no true relation, but he was a huge support to us over the past few years and was beloved by anyone who knew him. He was just, fair, and kind to the people of our kingdom. He had taken a great interest in helping mold Lissa into a suitable ruler and worked side by side with me to maintain the solidity of our troops. We loved him dearly and he was one of the few people we could trust with all of our secrets.

Despite the early hour, the table was already set with fresh, warm bread, slices of ham, and an assortment of jams. The staff around the castle had a way of knowing exactly when to expect us, even without our notice. I dug into the meal with my bare hands and stuffed my face while Lissa, the ever so regal one, modestly tore her food into pieces before slipping them into her mouth. I had been told that my eating habits had a way of putting people off their meal, but it didn't stop me from filling my belly as I saw fit.

"So, what is your meeting about today," I asked Lissa with a chunk of ham dangling from my mouth.

"Rose, please. Chew then talk," she admonished, but I could still see the tiniest hint of amusement behind her scolding. "Natalie is still out on tour, negotiating some of Victor's terms on his behalf, but she has sent word back regarding some of the other Royals' responses."

Natalie Dashkov was Victor's daughter and only heir. She had grown up alongside the Dragomirs and had become an unofficial cousin to us. She was exceptionally bright, well-spoken, and _extremely_ persuasive. That girl could write the book on ways of getting what you want. Since Victor was acting Warden of St. Vlad's Valley it was his duty to stay behind with Lissa and me, leaving Natalie to act as his representative at official court meetings, a rather fitting role for her actually.

"Sounds like a blast," I replied sarcastically. "Sorry to miss it, but I have to start training today."

"Well, if you're so sorry then maybe you should take my place at the meeting and I'll take yours down at the camp."

I paused mid-bite into a large hunk of bread, wide-eyed at her response. She looked at me seriously for a moment before we both burst out laughing, the image of her in a silk gown surrounded by mud and men nearly sending me out of my seat. When my laughing finally subsided, I looked over to the stain glass window to see that it was nearly sundown. I snatched one last piece of bread from the table and stood to leave.

"Where are you off to this early? Training doesn't start for almost another hour," Lissa probed.

"I—I just want to get a head start. You know, make sure everything is in order," I reached for an excuse. Her eyes needled me in that way they did when she could tell I was hiding something. I stood at the end of the table and looked around the room, avoiding her gaze as I began backing away. "So, I'll see you at supper? Okay, gotta run!"

I whirled around and brushed out of the room, feeling her skeptical stare burning into my back. She was right, I didn't technically have to be down at the camp for another hour at least, but I was excited for the night to begin. For the first time in a long time, I didn't get that anxious feeling as the sun went down, I almost welcomed it. I had been charged with leading many trainings such as this one before, but not only was this my first one as the official Field Marshall, there was one particular recruit I was hoping to gain more insight on.

As I approached the training grounds I could see that some of the torches had already been lit. Even though Dhampirs had heightened senses and could see relatively well in the dark, we preferred to keep the grounds lit to avoid any accidents. We were wielding a variety of large, metal weapons after all. In the distance, I could see a familiar face prepping one of the fire pits. I considered sneaking up behind him and scaring the piss out of him, I did enjoy turning his face the same color as his bright red hair but decided against it while he was holding a lit torch above his head.

"Hey Mase," I called out to him. His freckled face snapped up and a huge grin formed as he strode over towards me.

"Well if it isn't big, bad Hathaway come to whip us all into shape," Mason's smile was contagious, and I found myself falling into an easy temperament with my old friend. "I can't wait to see what crazy plans you have for this bunch."

"Lucky for you, Ashford, you get to witness my greatness first hand," I scooped my thick ponytail over my shoulder. "From what I hear, you and Eddie will be working alongside me a few days a week."

"Yeah well when they asked for volunteers to switch out shifts from watching the wall to helping with the troops, how could we say no? The view down here is certainly better." He moved his hand around me, outlining my physique, and smirked suggestively, earning a jab in the shoulder from me.

"Damn Rose. Feisty this morning," he chuckled, rubbing his arm.

"Gotta be quicker than that if you want to keep up. Maybe I should volunteer you for the first sparring lesson so you can get your shot at a rematch."

"Against you?! I see you're already hellbent on making me look bad in front of the new troops then."

Mason, Eddie and I had all trained together in St. Vlad's Valley the majority of our lives. There was a time where I was consistently behind them, when my focus lied on things outside of perfecting my combat skills, but it had been years since he or Eddie had managed to beat me in a fight. A reputation I was quite proud of. There was a brief time, prior to becoming Guardian Ashford and Guardian Hathaway, that I considered more than a friendship with Mason. He was charming, handsome, and had a brilliant sense of humor, but as we grew older and I grew more serious about my career, things fizzled and we decided we were best as good friends. Other than Lissa, he and Eddie were my closest allies and I was pleased to hear that they would be joining me in this new venture.

I picked up one of the smaller torches on the ground and started to help him finish lighting the fires as we playfully chatted about nonsense. Slowly, the troops began to file in and we eventually parted to prepare for the upcoming formalities. Without meaning to, my eyes began roaming over each of the faces, subconsciously searching for the mysterious man from the night before.

Those deep, penetrating eyes from my dream found their way into my mind as I walked to the front of the grounds. I wasn't sure what was with me that night but for some reason, I couldn't shake the invading image. It was like that piercing gaze was haunting me—something I wasn't necessarily unfamiliar with.

I shook my head to regain my concentration and tucked my necklace safely into my tunic as I made my way up to the small platform where Eddie was waiting for me. Apparently, he would be conducting the introductions. When the crowd began to settle, Eddie started his speech. Despite having heard the same rhetoric a dozen times over I should've still been paying attention out of respect for Eddie, which made his annoyed look completely warranted when he had to nudge me after apparently introducing me to the crowd.

"Thank you, Guardian Castile," I righted myself and took a step forward. "I want to formally welcome you all to St. Vladimir's Valley. There will never be enough words to express our gratitude for your sacrifice and dedication to the Dragomir name. Although it is expected of Dhampirs in other regions, we regard each and every one of you with great honor for your service." I could see a few in the crowd roll their eyes at that statement, and I didn't blame them. I knew some kingdoms treated Dhampir with far less respect than they deserved and saw them as nothing more than fodder on the front lines against the Strigoi.

"I know many of you have seen your fair share of hardships over the years. Unfairly judged based on your race, mistreated because of your lineage, and even outcast for having a mind of your own," I made eye contact with a select few recruits that I knew had suffered similar fates. "You will come to find that we run things a little differently here. Respect is not given based on class, race, or gender. It is _earned_. I know this may not be ideal for those of you who feel you have already earned that respect based on your titles, but it only means you will be given another chance to prove you are worthy of holding that title of honor." A few of the new knights in the crowd cast sidelong glances towards each other, skeptical of what I was saying.

"Everyone here will go through the same training over the week, no matter what your experience. This may seem daunting to some of you, but it is the best way for us to get a grasp on everyone's strengths and weaknesses. This arrangement will only be temporary until we move you into more specialized groups. Feel free to take advantage of any areas that you excel in and show us what you are made of." Rhea's mantra softly played in the back of my head as I continued on.

"There is nothing more important to me than keeping the Dragomir line and the habitants of this kingdom safe, and in order to do so, I need to make sure each and every one of you are ready when the time comes to protect these lands. We are only as strong as our weakest link, so rather than cutting each other down to get to the top, I expect you to build each other up so we are all fighting as one invincible force. That's not to say that I don't admire a bit of friendly competition," I gave Eddie a quick wink and he tried his best to hide his smirk.

"Camp rules will be posted later this evening and I expect you all to treat these grounds like your home, not a barn or a brothel. You'll come to find I can be a great ally, or your worst enemy so I suggest not getting on my bad side." I took a dramatic pause and glared into the crowd to emphasize my point. "And with that, training will start immediately. Guardian Castile and Guardian Ashford will be breaking you off into groups where you will be provided with further instructions." I motioned my two friends over and they began getting the troops organized.

I hopped down from the platform and began walking around the area. A few of the men gave me a quick nod as I passed by and I returned them hurriedly. I tried my best to maintain a friendly demeanor, but as I came to the end of the group and my suspicions were confirmed, I couldn't help but be pissed. Belikov wasn't here.

* * *

 **A/N** : Uh oh. Someone's in trouble... ;)

Translations: garderobe - toilet; churle - peasant-like, coarse; chirurgeons - medieval surgeon


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 1 Chapter 3**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs:** **THISKIDSNOTALRIGHT by AWOLNATION, Wednesday Night Melody by Bleached**

The first few days of training were... _interesting_ to say the least. After my long, yet necessary, speech I had sent Eddie to go out and look for Guardian Belikov. Granted, I had been late to my fair share of trainings in the past, but there was no way in hell I would let my troops in on that minor detail, or would I tolerate it at camp. I had to establish my authority and if I let them get away with stunts like this on the first day, they would walk all over me.

After finding out from a couple of the other men where Belikov was posted up, Eddie made his way over to his tent and brought him up to the training grounds. Walking up, it was hard to believe this was the same man from the night before. Without his hood, I could finally see him clearly and was somewhat surprised by his appearance. His dark hair was shoulder length—not a common fashion amongst warriors—his beard was scruffy and untamed, and his broad shoulders that looked like they could have carried the entire weight of the camp the night before now had a slightly deflated slump.

After directing him to his station, Eddie came back to me with the groundbreaking news that he had "slept in". Although that may have been the ultimate reason for his tardiness, the dark red stains on his shirt and distinct smell of stale wine radiating from him proved the true underlying factor. I watched him from a distance that night to make sure he stuck around and didn't try to sneak off back to bed.

The next night as I made my rounds, I was momentarily glad to see that he had actually showed up on time, but that feeling was quickly squashed after only a few minutes of watching him train. He was lethargic, clumsy, and obviously hungover...again.

I can't say this was the first time I had a troublesome Dhampir that needed some reeling in, but this time was far more frustrating than before. Belikov obviously had some skill; he knew how to hold a weapon, his technique was above average, and his stamina was exceptional, but his aim was off and his unsteady balance hindered him from making a decent impact or hitting anywhere near on target—no doubt side effects from a booze-induced coma. I hated seeing someone waste talent and was annoyed just by looking at him. I considered letting Eddie or Mason handle it, to keep my not so subtle emotions from rearing their head, but on the third day of training, he did something that ignited my already small flame and set erupted the little patience that I had.

The men in his group were working on hand-to-hand combat. Weapons were one of our biggest assets against Strigoi. We used a variety of silver swords, knives, battle-axes and stakes that were charmed by the four main elements of magic to kill them. It took a direct hit to the heart to send them back to the depths of hell, and in order to do so, we were all expertly trained in combat on subduing and executing a kill. Although our weapons were the ultimate deciding factor in their demise, without the proper skills to fight them head-on, a sword was useless in battle.

I stood on the nearby platform to get a good view of two of the Dhampir from the eastern border to see how their skills matched up. The training over there was relatively close to ours and I was interested in seeing how well Byrne and Murray held up. Their skills turned out to be pretty evenly matched, but still not quite where I would've liked them to be. I leaned my elbows onto the makeshift railing and habitually fiddled with the charm around my neck as Mason gave the two men some pointers. They seemed to be perceptive to his advice and nodded along compliantly. I took a mental note to watch them spar again later to see if they added any new techniques to their fight.

"Alright, who's up next," Mason called out. To my surprise, Belikov volunteered and walked to the center of the sparring ring. A shorter, stockier Dhampir called Healy stepped up to face him. I straightened up a bit as they fell into position, curious if he had finally decided to take things seriously. Healy immediately went on the offense throwing wild punches towards his opponent's face and chest, with little to no technique. The movements seemed uncalculated and brash, but still held a surprising amount of power for someone at his stature. However, Belikov deftly blocked each one with apparent ease, catching my immediate attention. This went on for some time, Healy launching primitive attacks and Belikov quickly dodging and blocking. It was as if he was reading each of his adversary's moves before they were initiated.

"Why aren't you fighting back," I muttered to myself. If Belikov had the skill to anticipate the next steps, I couldn't figure out why he was letting this fight go on this long.

Healy was starting to wear down, his hits becoming heavier by the minute. He cranked his arm back, preparing for one last attempt at a strike to the face. We could all see where his intended target was planned, his slow movements and pointed focus giving him away. I rose onto my toes, anticipation coursing through me as I waited to see how Belikov would react. He had yet to throw a single punch and I was dying to see the impact of his blow. Just when it looked like he was finally about to make an attack he dropped his arms to his side and remained perfectly still, letting Healy's fist collide directly with his jaw.

His face shot to the side, blood and spit soaring out of his mouth. I quickly glanced around thinking that something had distracted him, but when he rose back up the look on his face proved it had been intentional. He was _smiling_.

Belikov righted his stance as he wiped his bloodied beard with the back of his arm and motioned for Healy to come at him again. I'm not sure if he was a masochist or just an asshole, but I had seen enough.

"Stop!" Everyone's heads whipped towards me, evidently just now noticing that I was watching their fights. Everyone's except Belikov's, whose focus was still aimed in Healy's direction. "You mind explaining to me what the hell you're doing, Guardian?"

"I was—I was just," Healy started before I raised my hand to cut him off.

"Not you. Guardian Belikov." I didn't need to explain myself further. It was clear the others were wondering the same thing. Belikov dropped his hands and finally stepped out of his fighting stance, but refused to look at me when he responded.

"Huh, I thought someone as observant as you could figure that out." Apparently, he _had_ noticed I'd been watching. I suddenly realized this was the first time I had heard him speak. His voice was deep, his accent unfamiliar, but his tone...his tone was sarcastic and cocky as all hell. I guess that answered my earlier question: he was an asshole.

I should have just let that little comment go and worked out a way to redirect his attitude, but that distasteful feeling for him wasting his talents rose up again and his obvious lack of respect was pushing my limits. I couldn't stand to look at him. "If you're not going to take this exercise seriously, then I suggest you find one that you will."

He scoffed at my response like a scolded child and pushed his hair out of his face. "Sure thing, Guardian Hathaway. I'm better with knives anyways."

I shouldn't have done it. I know I shouldn't have. I was the leader now and needed to keep my temper in check, but this insubordinate foreigner was fueling that burning rage I tried so hard to keep at bay. As he turned to leave, I snatched a knife from the holster on my hip and flung it across the yard. The silver tip danced in the glowing light as it spun through the air before sinking into the wooden post directly in front of that bodach's face. His eyes widened at the weapon lodged inches from his nose and he froze in place.

"That's Marshall to you, Belikov."

He finally met my burning gaze and looked at me with that stone cold mask. Those brown eyes from my dream caused my breaths to become uneven. There was something about them that I couldn't quite place. I didn't understand why, but it was like they were saying something to me, something about who this stranger truly was—or who he used to be. That was until his expression morphed into yet another cocky smirk. Belikov wrapped his fingers around the knife, pulling it from the post and tossed it up to catch the hilt in his hand, all the while maintaining his eye contact with me. "My mistake, _Marshall_."

After he left the ring and headed towards the throwing targets I turned on my heel and stormed off, not even bothering to retrieve my knife. I'm not sure why I was letting this recruit get to me so much, but there was steam practically spewing out of my ears. Eventually, Eddie came searching for me, despite the risk of being on the receiving end of my fury.

"Hey Rose, there you are. I've been looking all over for you."

I was perched at a nearby stream, listening to the sloshing water as I tried to calm my nerves. I didn't bother turning around as Eddie approached so he took it upon himself to plop down next to me.

"I heard what happened at the sparring station."

"Let me guess, Mason couldn't wait to tell you how I flipped out," I sneered.

"No. Well, I mean yeah Mason told me. But I also heard it from Murray, Alto, a couple guys on the wall—" I let out a loud groan interrupting his rambling and dropped my face into my hands. "Why are you so bothered? I heard it was badass."

"It was not _badass,_ Eddie. It was stupid and impulsive. Something the old Rose would do."

"What's so wrong with the old Rose? From what I remember, she used to be fun," Eddie nudged my shoulder, jostling my head out of my hands so I was forced to finally look at him.

"Now you're starting to sound like Lissa." He stared at me blankly, waiting for me to elaborate. I let out a deep sigh, the rest of my anger falling with it. "I just want to do this right. I've been working my whole life for an opportunity like this, to really make an impact here. If I fuck it all up by being careless or rebellious, Lissa's safety could be at risk. I can't afford to lose control." I thought about the amount of responsibility I truly held, the weight of it was enough to suffocate me if I let it.

"Seriously? That's it," Eddie looked rather entertained and I suddenly felt the urge to smack that clever grin off his face.

"That's it?! Oh, you mean other than the protection of my sister, the Last Dragomir, the ultimate safety of the entire kingdom, and not to mention my goddamn reputation? Yeah, that's it."

Eddie let out an amused huff and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Look, Rose, it's great you want to take this role seriously and be the best leader that you can, but it doesn't mean you have to change who you are in the process. Alberta and Lord Dashkov saw something in you—despite all the shit you used to pull—and have faith that you can achieve greatness. Being Field Marshall Hathaway doesn't mean you can't also still be just Rose." His warm smile soothed that earlier frustration and I was having a hard time keeping my stern facade in place.

"If some guy is acting out of line and you want to throw a knife at him, who gives a shit?! You're in charge here and if old Rose comes out to set a gobshite straight, then by all means, "Eddie leaned closer and pressed his forehead to mine, wearing that shit-eating grin he coveted, "we'll welcome her with open arms." I let out a small laugh, finally relenting to his encouragement.

I placed my hand on his opposite shoulder and gave it a small squeeze before leaning back. "Thanks, Eddie."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't get all soft on me now Hathaway. We've still got work to do." Eddie jumped to stand in one fluid motion and reached down to help me up. I mimicked his maneuver and landed next to him, ready to take on any more challenges the night threatened to throw at me.

\

The rest of training proved relatively uneventful. I made my rounds to some of the other stations and I noticed a few men straightening up as I walked by. It appeared that my antics from earlier instilled a semblance of fear in some of their eyes rather than amusement, so I chalked it up to a win. I finished my route near the archers before it was time to disperse.

I thought it best on a night like this to eat supper with the troops and save face, but I had already promised Lissa I would join her back at the castle and after what I had seen tonight I felt comfortable enough to leave them to their own devices. I decided since the last few meals we shared together I had been dressed in my dirty training gear I would put on a dress. If anything, it was an effort to prevent Lissa's nose from turning up any higher at the sight of my ensemble. I grabbed one of my plain dresses and fastened it on. It was dark, mossy green like the forest on a cloudy day and it made me long for my early morning strolls around the valley. As I pulled my necklace out of the bodice of the dress, I considered waking up early to take a stroll to the woods' end.

When I made my way down to the dining hall Lissa was already there waiting for me, sipping on a steaming bowl of soup. "You're not usually one to be late for a meal," she teased. "Long day at training?"

"You could say that." I plopped down in my seat across from her and snagged a slice of bread from the center of the wooden table. Not long after I sat down, one of the kitchen maids brought over a bowl of stew and placed it in front of me. I devoured it in record time and used the last bits of bread to soak up the delectable juices.

"Your eating habits never cease to amaze me," Lissa sarcastically drolled. I looked up to see her eyeing the mess of stew on my face and used the sleeve of my dress to wipe it off.

I leaned back in my seat comfortably and plopped my feet up onto the table's edge. "Well lucky for you, your _Highness_ , I aim to please."

She shook her head at my objective vulgarness and quickly changed the subject. "So, how's training been going? Anything exciting happen?" I couldn't help but notice the enthusiasm in her voice and wondered how bored she must have been today if she was really that interested in training camp.

"I wouldn't say exciting," I indulged, "but it's going well so far. Some of the new recruits definitely have potential, and some—" I thought about how eager I was about the prospects of a certain Dhampir and how that was quickly swallowed by my disappointment. "And some, not so much."

"What's that look for?" Even though I knew our bond was one-sided and I was the one who could get into Lissa's head, I sometimes got the feeling she possessed the ability to get into mine as well.

"Nothing. I just…" Lissa was my best friend and I could tell her anything that was bothering me, but she was also the soon-to-be Queen. I knew she didn't have any doubts about my capabilities of manning the troops; nonetheless, I was still a little self-conscious about the way I acted and didn't want to leave any room for scrutiny. "I've been having difficulties with one of the recruits. I can tell there's talent there but for some reason, he's holding back. When he acted out tonight I may or may not have lost my temper and overreacted," I began twirling a loose strand of my hair, avoiding her gaze. "Now I'm not really sure what to do about it."

She studied me for a moment, identifying my familiar tells. The aporetic look on her face told me she knew there was more to the story and that I was holding back, but true to form, she didn't press me any further. "Well, have you tried talking to him one-on-one?"

I had to physically keep myself from scoffing at that suggestion. After today, the last thing I wanted to do was talk to the brut. "Maybe there's more to his story than you know," Lissa coaxed. "Uprooting your life and moving to a camp full of strangers can't be easy. He could just be having a hard time adjusting. Maybe if you approached him as a friend instead of his superior you could help him come out of his shell a little."

Lissa's sweet voice made it nearly impossible to hold onto my anger at Belikov, and as much as I hated to admit it, she had a point. I had lived here my whole life and couldn't imagine what it would be like having to depart from the familiarity of St. Vlad's Valley and suddenly start anew. To top it off, she was proving her final point as she spoke. Here Lissa was, not only my superior but the head of the entire kingdom, giving me advice as my friend rather than my ruler and I already felt more at ease. She quietly watched me as the thoughts rolled through my head and I let out a relenting groan when I finally conceded to her advice. "Ughh alright. I'll go talk to him. But if this ends badly, I'm putting pine cones in your bedding."

"You wouldn't dare," she practically squealed. I gave her a mischievous smile knowing that she would probably be poking her mattress the next few nights before plopping in.

After supper, I made my way back down to the camp. It was past curfew already, but not so late that the troops would all be asleep. I figured I'd walk by Belikov's tent and if he was up, I'd give this "one-on-one" chat a shot. Besides, I supposed I at least owed him somewhat of an apology for throwing a dagger at his face—not to mention, I wanted my knife back. As I walked down the paved path between some of the shops, I noticed that the area was much more lively than usual for this time of night. I could hear muffled shouts in the distance and momentarily thought there might be trouble. I increased my pace, but as I got closer it became obvious they were actually boisterous conversations and obnoxious laughing. There was an alehouse nearby and I rerouted my course in that direction.

When I neared the entrance a few familiar voices rang into the night and my steps became heavy with determination. A laugh that sounded thick with alcohol, a few shouts laced with a distinct Gaelic accent, and one other foreign voice that echoed above them all. I pushed through the hefty swinging doors to find that my assumptions had been correct. My men.

* * *

 **Translations** :

bodach - churl or lout in Irish Gaelic; rude or ill-bred person

gobshite - literally "mouth shit", so someone who says or does something completely idiotic


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 1 Chapter 4**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Pagan Polska OMINA, Behind a Wall by Blood Red Shoes,**

Now, don't get me wrong. I knew better than most the need to let off some steam and unwind, and what better way to do so than at the bottom of a fresh pint of ale. I had willingly turned a blind eye to those sneaking in some booze at camp and would allow the occasional night out, but this was a blatant disregard of the camp rules. Not only were the men out well-passed curfew, but they were completely sloshed with a full schedule of training waiting for them tomorrow. These rules were not only set in place for them, but I knew how rowdy they could get and had standards established to keep drunken Dhampir from wreaking too much havoc on the local businesses at all hours of the morning. Spotting the slightly worried look on the barkeep's face told me that I had been right in doing so.

I walked over to the bar, not making my presence known yet to sniff out the situation. A somewhat grateful look appeared on Old John's face behind the bar and I quickly understood why. The men were gathered in a small circle around two Dhampirs, some shouting either chants of encouragement or profanities, some slamming their tankards against the oak tables, frothy ale sloshing out of the tops in the process. A fight hadn't broken out yet, but energies were high, and it was apparent those were not their first ales of the evening by any means. I deftly moved a little closer to them to get a good look at what was happening in the center of their circle.

I had to raise up on my toes to catch a good glimpse, but when I saw two fists firmly grasping one another—one belonging to Belikov—I was in no way surprised. He was arm wrestling with another troop member and winning at that. The other Dhampir's teeth were clenched, sweat increasingly forming on his brow while Belikov had a cool, collected look adorning his face. It appeared he had been toying with him because after only another minute of increasing shouts, Belikov slammed the Dhampir's arm to the table, jostling a few of the tankers and spilling even more ale on the wooden surface. _What a waste_.

A few of the men cheered while others groaned in disappointment as Belikov shouted, "Who will be buying me my next drink?"

I was about to take the opportunity to finally make myself known when a meek, sputtering voice intercepted. "Good evening, Princess. May I get you something to drink?" A boy I didn't recognize walked up beside me holding a platter of full tankers. He must have been hired recently to help out Old John around the alehouse and by the looks of it, he was bringing my troops a fresh round.

The men's heads all whipped around, some jumping to attention at the sound of my title other's jaws dropping in shock. I politely declined the boy's offer and returned my impassive glare back to the rowdy Dhampir. "Well, what is it we have here," I crossed my arms and took another few steps towards them. Some of the men quickly dropped their cups to the table and straightened up, as if the lack of a drink in their hand would diminish the stench of alcohol from their expressions.

"Marshall Hathaway. We were just—" one of the men stammered, his words fading as I turned my sights on him.

"What he means to say is—" another chimed in.

Then a foreign voice entered the conversation and all eyes darted to him.

"So, _Princess_ is it," the men parted, giving me a clear look at him still seated as he presumptuously spoke. "You here to join us for a drink?" Belikov raised his empty tanker in the air as his eyes lazily draped over me, and I cursed myself for wearing that stupid dress to dinner. I heard a couple of the men nervously cough to stifle their drunken amusement.

"It's well past curfew and the lot of you are in violation of camp rules," I announced to the room before turning back to Belikov. "And as I said earlier, it's _Marshall_ to you," I bit out.

My fists clenched at my side and I could feel my skin tighten over my knuckles. This was the second time he had disrespected me in front of my men and if I had my knife on me at that moment, it probably would have shot into one of his brawny shoulders rather than a wooden post. I took another step closer, ready to unleash my rage on him when a bellowing shout cut in.

"Troops!" I didn't need to turn around to know who the voice belonged to. Mason must have discovered that the men were missing from camp and stumbled upon them just as I had. He began calling out orders and I could hear the Dhampirs shuffle around me, but I kept my incensed glare pointed at Belikov as if the blaze of my fury might burn a hole in his stupid, smirking face. I waited for his brash veneer to crack even in the slightest, but he stubbornly held on to it as he met my gaze. The longer I looked at him, the hotter my skin became, and I felt like I would combust into flames if I moved any closer.

"That means you too, Guardian Belikov." The foreigner lingered for one more instant before finally standing and walking towards the other men. I kept my back turned as Mason berated them, trying to steady my heavy breathing. "I'd have half a mind to put you all on wall watch for the rest of the day, but seeing how the majority of you probably can't even see straight I'd be putting us in more danger than punishing you. Get back to your tents. Now!"

The men scurried out and when I heard the last one leave, I finally turned around. "What the hell was that, Mason," I was practically shouting. "I didn't need you undermining me or coming in to save the day. I had it under control."

"Woah, Rose," my friend held up his hands and took a staggering step away from me. "I wasn't undermining you. I know you can handle it, but you were so focused on your new favorite recruit that you were forgetting about the rest of the troops."

I didn't appreciate his judgmental tone or his insinuations and could feel myself on the verge of losing control. "I know what I'm doing," I gritted through my teeth and knocked into his shoulder as I brushed by him.

"Rose wait." My body jolted to a stop and my eyes darted down to Mason's hand now clasped around my arm. I slowly looked up, ready to pry him off me and slam him to the dirt floor, but when I saw the look on his face my rage started to die down. He was obviously apologetic, but there was also a hint of worry there that snubbed out the burning anger in my gut. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to step on your toes, I was just trying to help. Please, forgive me."

I took a deep inhale through my nose and let out a steadying breath. "It's fine," I curtly replied as I shrugged his hand off my arm. I tried to give him a reassuring look as well but was still too pissed to fake it.

"Is—is everything okay with you? You seem a little off," he quietly asked, his eyes looking over me with concern.

"Off?" I crossed my arms over my stomach defensively.

"I just mean," his hand reached out towards my necklace, "is everything else alright? Has Vasilisa been practicing more of her magic lately?"

I shied away from his hand and protectively grasped my necklace in my palm. It didn't just hold sentimental value to me, it was special—charmed. Of course a psychic bond wouldn't be the cream on top the cake for me. No, I had to also deal with a boatload of other freaky side effects that coincided with Spirit.

Where all the other elements of magic took from the earth, Spirit took from its host. When Lissa healed, the magic would drive from her essence and light, leaving behind something more dangerous. Over the years our kind had coined this entity as Darkness. In moderation, the Darkness could just result in mild mood swings and occasional ill-temperaments. But if ignored or built up after strong doses of magic use, it could become much worse. Many Spirit users had suffered from anxiety, deep depression, hysteria, and even complete madness. And not just the PMS'ing, overreacting bitch or even fanatic beggar on the street crazy; I'm talking full on head case with no point of return.

After the bond was first established and we knew only a little about the ins and outs of Lissa's magic, I had been inadvertently taking the Darkness from her. It shielded Lissa from her depressive thoughts and prevented her from going insane, but when it took hold of me, my rage was completely uncontrollable. After a couple of serious incidents, Alberta discovered that it was more than just mood swings and sought out answers. Luckily, a quick spell could be performed on silver charms for me to wear, keeping the Darkness—and other more threatening risks—at bay.

I was about to tell Mason to fuck off for assuming that my angry state was related to a problem I had under control now but realized that kind of reaction was just the sort of thing that would compel him into that line of thinking. So, going against my natural instincts to rip his head off, I opted for a calmer approach.

"It's not that. Everything with Lissa is fine."

"Well, then what is it. Something's obviously getting to you. You haven't exactly been known for your patience, but this raging bull behavior has been a little out of the blue. Even for you," his voice was light and humorous, but we both knew there was still truth behind that last statement.

I looked over to the bar to see that Old John and his new helper had gone in the back to either finish cleaning up or give us some privacy. When I turned to face Mason again, it was clear he wasn't going to let this go until I finally fessed up. "Ugh, I don't know why but this guy is driving me insane," I pulled at my loose hair and began pacing in front of him. "He's been nothing shy of a total jackass, is completely disrespectful to me, has no regard for the rules, and did I mention a jackass?"

"You may have said that," Mason smirked.

I plopped down into a seat at the bar and lowered my voice as Mason sat next to me. "The thing that gets me the most isn't the bad attitude or rule-breaking, it's the fact that he's wasting himself. I can tell he's trained just by looking at him but seeing him spar today it's obvious he's equipped with more than he's letting on."

"How can you be so sure? What if he really is just a big dude with not much skill?"

I thought about the defiant look he had given me when we first met. The spark behind those brown eyes that only came out when I searched really hard. I saw a spec of that look again at the training field and tonight when he refused to back down. There was power in him that for some reason he was refusing to set free. "I can't really explain it. I just know. It's almost as if he's afraid to let it out. As soon as he gets close to showing what he's capable of, he backs down."

"Why would he do that," it was the same question that had been irking me all day. I just shook my head, not knowing how to respond to him. "Well, lucky for me it's up to you, Marshall, to find out."

"Thanks. I really appreciate the help," I dryly replied.

"Anything for you, Sir Hathaway," Mason gave me a quick wink and lifted up one of the half-drunken ales. I gave him a warning look and he responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

"What? I'm off duty," Mason chugged the golden liquid down and wiped some of the clinging froth from his mouth with a shit-eating grin. "So, on to more exciting topics...what are we going to do for punishment?"

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at my friend's excitement. A few instances ran through my head of times where Mason and I were on the other end of receiving punishment rather than dealing it out but surely, I could be more creative than Guardian Petrov when it came to discipline. Then, a satisfying thought came to mind.

"Hmm, I think I have an idea." It looked like my early sun-drenched run through the woods would have to wait.

 **DPOV**

 **Song: The Grand Optimist by City and Colour, Brain Stew by Green Day, Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf) by AWOLNATION**

Sleep didn't come easy these days. I never needed much before—I was trained to go long periods without it after all—but now it was practically nonexistent. Ever since the battle. The day the Kievan Rus fell. The day I lost Ivan. The day I lost everything.

Every time I closed my eyes a vision of his stark white face splattered with blood and fear shot into the forefront of my mind. I wondered if I would ever get it out. That constant reminder of my failure. The utter agony of seeing my best friend's blank stare over and over until I couldn't take it any longer.

The only thing that seemed to help was the alcohol. If I drank enough, I would slip into blackness for a few hours at a time. It wasn't the greatest sleep, it was passing out at best, but it was better than nothing and was somewhat of a reprieve from my gruesome hauntings. Last night had been such a night. After dinner I returned to my tent, dreading what the attempt of sleep would bring. I plopped down on my bed of furs and went through the same motions as every other night, expecting the same results, but this time when I closed my eyes I wasn't met with the usual scene. Instead, another pair of eyes appeared.

Rather than Ivan's bright blue, they were dark brown like roasted chestnuts on Christmas morning. There was a hardness to their glare that felt like they could pierce right through you, but the skin around them was soft and inviting. They continued glowering at me...no, _into_ me, and I felt uneasy under their hold. _What were they looking for? What did they see?_

Before I could decipher their purpose, the familiar nightmare crept its way back in and I flung out of my bed in search for the nearest tavern. I managed to attract a couple of tagalongs on my way and decided I might as well make the best of this little venture. That was until _she_ interrupted. I knew it was wrong—the way I was acting towards her. She hadn't done anything to deserve it, but she was yet another constant reminder of what used to be. Her commanding authority, her fierceness, her enamored fealty. I had seen all those qualities the first night I met her and each day she proved them again, only increasing my uneasiness around her.

It was almost painful holding her burning gaze as she challenged me but for some reason, I felt a need to prove to her that I wouldn't be intimidated. When Guardian Ashford called me over I had to physically keep myself from letting out a relieved breath. I swayed over to my tent, hoping that I had consumed enough to bring me into empty blackness and fell face first onto my makeshift bed, trying with everything within me to not think about her dark, searing gaze dissecting the parts of me I wanted to remain hidden.

The next thing I knew a freezing rush of water flooded my nose and mouth, causing me to gasp for air as I shot up. I looked around, panicked that I somehow sleep-walked into a nearby river only to find that I was still in my tent.

"Rise and shine geebag," I wiped the water off my face to find Guardian Castile standing above me with an empty bucket and a devilish grin across his boyish cheeks. He leaned down to me so that his face was inches from mine as he said, "It's time to meet your maker."

/

It was well into the human day, the sun still high in the sky truly illuminating the immaculate Dragomir grounds to me for the first time. The bright greens of the valley were a stark contrast to the dark stone of the castle, but it looked less menacing in the light. It was grandiose yet sturdy, with a feel that it had been here for ages and would still stand here centuries later.

There was a time I cherished my time in the sun and would steal as many moments out in its light as I could, but now its blazing beams were sending a shooting pain into my swollen head and causing sweat to pour out of me under its unrelenting heat.

"Pick up the pace boys or you'll be here all night," Hathaway's irritating voice shouted.

I could hear Castile and Ashford sniggering beside her as they watched us sink our shovels into the hardened dirt time and time again. I would no doubt have blisters on my palms by the end of this. If a ten-rotation run around the kingdom wasn't enough, they were now having us dig trenches outside the wall for god knows what reason. The only thing that was keeping me going was the prospect of water once we finished.

After about another hour or so under the scorching heat, the amused Guardians finally took pity on us and called us back inside the gates for water. I could hear a collected sigh of relief gust out of the men as we scrambled to the training grounds. My tongue felt like sandpaper in my dry mouth and was practically shriveling up in anticipation of the rejuvenating liquid. Castile and Ashford walked over to us with four large wooden pails and we all shuffled around trying to get first dibs. However, when they dropped them on the ground in front of us my hopes for reprieve shot straight over the wall upon discovering they were empty.

"What the hell is this," I puffed out, gesturing to the sorry sight before us.

"Oh, I guess I forgot to mention. If it's water you are wanting you'll need to fetch it first," our ruthless leader sang out.

I looked over to the Marshall with annoyance dripping from my brow along with the sweat and dirt it had accumulated during our retribution. "And where exactly do we do that?"

A wicked smile that marred her normally agreeable features formed across her sun-kissed cheeks and I knew I wasn't going to like the answer. "There's a well about three miles east of here. You can take the pails with you, replenish, and bring the full ones back for the rest of the troops. If you leave now, it should give you just enough time to get back for training warm-ups."

The other men groaned hearing that we not only had to wait for water but had to go on a six-mile hike only to get back in time to start our next training session. I was already close to losing my temper before, but that satisfied smirk on Hathaway's face as some of the men started to pick up the pails was the final straw. Before Murray's hand reached the last pail I launched my foot at it, sending it soaring across the dirt. Castile and Ashford's heads whipped towards me in response while the Marshall just stood there with her arms crossed, her eyes already beaming at me as if she was expecting it.

"Something on your mind, Guardian," she coyly asked.

"This is bullshit and you know it. I get it, we broke the rules and now you want to prove a point and show everyone who's boss around here. But you're going overboard." Apparently, she didn't like that response. She dropped her arms and strode over to me with purpose.

"Well, if you think this little workout this morning was too _hard_ then maybe the problem isn't my methods. Maybe the problem is that you're too soft. If the others are in agreeance with you, then I'd be happy to schedule more of these extra workouts to help catch the rest of you up to speed." Her gaze scanned around to the other Dhampir behind me before landing back on me. I didn't need to follow her austere stare to know the men were most likely frantically disagreeing with me to prevent further punishment. But as her dark eyes reamed into me, I once again felt that burning need to prove to her that I wouldn't back down.

"I challenge you," I gritted through my teeth.

"What did you say," she leaned forward to meet my rigid stance.

"You heard me. I. Challenge. You," I crossed my arms over my chest and stood a little taller to tower over her petite stature. "A sparring match, hand to hand. If I win, this punishment is over, and we rest until training begins."

I could see her brow scrunch slightly as she mulled it over, the thought of us cutting her discipline short obviously troubling.

"What's wrong _Marshall_? If I'm as soft as you say I am, then you should have nothing to worry about." The bait worked, and I could see that familiar fire within her ignite.

"Fine. If you win, the lot of you can shove off until warm-ups. But if I win," her wicked grin returned, "all of you will be waking up early for two-a-days the rest of the week."

I could hear some of the men start to fuss, but before any of them could protest I shot my hand out to her and said, "Deal."

She reached over and sternly shook my hand. As our skin made contact I could have sworn an ember of that fire within her darted into my palm, but I shook it off and walked over to the other side of the makeshift sparring ring. She unhooked her belt strap and handed it, along with her sword, to Ashford and deftly tucked her silver pendant under her tunic. I had seen that same necklace at the alehouse and wondered why she adorned it even now. So far, she didn't strike me as the materialistic type but maybe that was just the Princess in her that was holding on to a flashy trinket, even on camp training grounds.

I rolled my shoulders and tried to erase the hazy cloud from my head that had been with me all day. I guess I had more to drink than I thought last night. But given my superior strength and extended reach—not to mention the years of experience I held over the young warrior—besting her wouldn't be a difficult feat.

I turned around to face her, expecting a scorned look to be pointed at me, but was surprised to see her smiling. It was almost like she was...excited. I hid my confusion at that over-eager look and crouched down with my arms held out in front of me, signaling that I was ready. Guardian Castile began walking up in what looked like an attempt to referee the match, but Rose shooed him away. "That won't be necessary, Eddie."

He gave her a sly smirk as he walked back to stand beside his ginger companion. I let out an annoyed huff at her cocky demeanor and gestured the dark-haired knight over with a jut of my chin. "Come on, give it your best shot."

That goading only made her smile grow and she immediately launched at me with full speed, or what I thought was full speed. She was like lighting as she charged straight for me and I barely dodged out of the way, sending her shooting to my right. I moved to turn around but before I could catch her, the little pest jabbed one of her elbows directly between my shoulder blades sending me tumbling forward.

My feet skid across the dusty floor and I whipped around with my arms up to protect my face. However, she wasn't coming at me with a counter attack. She was just standing there, with that same vain sneer resting in place. My blood started to boil, and I reacted brashly without thinking. I dropped my arms and marched over to her, only bringing them up again when she was within my reach and swung a haymaker towards her shoulder. Hathaway caught my forearm in her hands before I could make contact and made a 'tsk' sound as she shook her head, gripping my arm tightly and spinning her body underneath it. She lurched my arm behind me and pulled it up against my back, causing a tightening pain to shoot up to my shoulder and kicked the back of my legs sending my knee straight into the ground.

I could feel her hot breath on the back of my neck as she leaned in and whispered, "What did I tell you? Too soft."

I let out a growl at her accusation and grabbed the back of her neck with my free hand to launch the girl over my back. She deftly landed and rolled to a stand and before I could reach her again she flung a roundhouse kick at my face. I jolted back to avoid her attack but was caught with another straight to the abdomen before I could decipher her next move. I folded over under Hathaway's surprising force and blocked a punch with the back of my arm mere inches from impact. I only caught a glimpse of dark hair as it whipped by me and spun around to where I saw it heading.

Just as I turned to face her once again, I was met with a full forced uppercut straight to the jaw, sending me careening to the ground. As my back hit the hard dirt blackness completely covered my vision and I was out.

I wasn't sure if it was seconds or minutes later, but for the second time that day I was woken to a face full of ice cold water. This time rather than Castile's self-assured face, I was met with Ashford's.

"Thanks a lot, you feckin tosser," one of the men spat out as he walked by me.

"You couldn't just keep your mouth shut," another mumbled in my direction.

"Fucking schmuck couldn't even get a hit on her."

I banged the back of my head against the ground and let out a defeated groan wondering what the hell had just happened. Ashford's hand reached down towards me and I accepted, pulling myself up.

"Don't beat yourself up too much, man. It's been two years since anyone here has even come close to beating her." He patted me on the shoulder, sending red dirt up into the air. I looked around for the Marshall, expecting her to be standing by ready to gloat but she was nowhere in sight.

"Two years you said," I asked the freckled Guardian as I continued looking around. "We'll see about that."

* * *

 **A/N** : Those of you who have read my other stories know I can't go too long without a good ole fight scene ;). And thank you HW godmother (yes, she has returned) ohorpheuss for the song suggestion. Pagan Polska just screams medieval bar scene. Hope y'all enjoyed the first DPOV! It's definitely not the last.

Translations:

Geebag – unpleasant or foolish person


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 1 Chapter 5**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs:** **Put a Flower in Your Pocket by The Arcs** , **Stranglehold by Ted Nugent**

I hadn't just decided on one of my least favorite punishments, that would've been too easy. So, I decided to enforce them all. I expected at least one of the men to crack eventually and was in no way surprised to find it be Belikov. I was actually counting on it.

So far, he had been too calm, too collected, and I wanted to see him lose control. I couldn't have been happier when he challenged me to a fight; it was a win-win situation. I would not only get to kick his sorry ass for disrespecting me but would also finally get to see what he was made of.

However, that excitement quickly morphed into massive disappointment. My first few attacks weren't even up to my full speed or power, and he was having serious trouble keeping up. The stench of stale beer and rank sweat from the afternoon's activities was a sure sign that he was still hungover. I tried another few quick maneuvers to get a feel for his skill, but he failed miserably. I could have kept the fight going a little longer, knocked him around a few more times for my amusement, but I was so dissatisfied by how easy he was to beat that I ended it with one solid punch to the jaw. I hovered over him for a moment as he lay unconscious. His hair was matted to his face and the ends of his scruffy beard were coated with dried mud. Whatever I thought I saw in him before...I was wrong. He wasn't a warrior. He was hardly even a man.

Disgusted by the sight before me, I turned away and walked over to Mason and Eddie. "Get him up," I hissed under my breath as I brushed passed them and stormed out of camp.

The next day my feet were practically dragging as I made my way down to the training grounds. It was ironic that the man that had me up early and excited for training just a week ago was now the same person that had me dreading going down there today. I was slightly regretting the fact that the rest of the men would have to suffer for Belikov's foolishness, but maybe their angry glares and resentment towards him would be the final tipping point that would make him straighten up. I thought about having one of the other Guardians lead today's "workout" so I didn't have to see his face, but decided it wasn't worth keeping another undeserving person from their rest.

The selected troops didn't have to be out for another half hour, but I chose to get a move on in case more drastic means of waking them up were needed again and considered going for that run through the woods that I had missed out on the day before. However, when I approached the grounds it looked like that plan would be intercepted once again.

Sitting on the platform at the center of camp was none other than Guardian Belikov. "Perfect," I grumbled under my breath.

I had no idea what propelled him to get up this early, since I was sure I was going to have to send one of the other men after him, but what surprised me even more was his appearance. His long hair was combed and tied back, his face was clean shaven and washed, and his posture was more resemblant of a brick wall rather than the dejected slump he had been sporting. As the sunlight hit him, I couldn't help but notice how striking his foreign features were without all that scruff and dirt obscuring them. His distinct cheekbones and strong jawline made him look like he was carved out of stone, every piece diligently crafted to perfection, say for the small crack just above his right eye. The skin there was slightly lighter than the rest of his tanned complexion indicating a severe battle wound now healed. Dhampir tended to heal quickly and more effectively than our human brethren so scars didn't often make a lasting appearance on our flesh, except for the occasional brush with death. I had a couple that were well hidden from any prying eyes.

Although he was quietly seated, everything about him screamed threatening, like the gargoyle he had transformed into in my dream, but there was a softness to those brown eyes that somehow made all the other features of his face seem almost...welcoming.

As I approached, his head slowly turned towards me and a weighty look formed on his stoic face, indicating there was something on his mind. I considered ignoring him and just walking by, but my curiosity got the best of me and I stopped when I made it in front of him. "What are you doing here so early?"

The surly Dhampir remained seated on the platform so that we were at eye-level. He looked at me for a moment, making me feel slightly uncomfortable under his stare and when he didn't answer I wondered if he had even heard what I said. I opened my mouth to repeat my question, but he interrupted before anything escaped. "I want a rematch."

 _Well, that was unexpected_. "A rematch," I looked at him skeptically and he nodded in response.

"What? You didn't get enough of a beating yesterday so you've come back for more? What are you, some kind of masochist?"

"I _want_ a rematch," he repeated. His thick accent had a definite serious note to it, but there was no anger or resentment behind it like I would have assumed. He was eerily calm, which only caused my suspicion to rise.

"I'm not interested in beating you down again just so you can get a shot at soothing your massive ego. It's a waste of my time," I turned to leave, but was caught short by his persistent request.

"Here are my terms," apparently, he either wasn't listening to me or wasn't giving up. I kept my back to him to shield my annoyance as he spoke. "If I win, the rest of the troops can go back to normal training schedules this week. And if you win, I'll continue afternoon two-a-days for the rest of the month."

I turned my head around to peer at him over my shoulder. It hadn't slipped my notice that he had yet to mention him returning to regular schedules along with the troops this week. He appeared to only be rallying for them. I wondered if they had maybe put him up to it, but had the feeling he wasn't the type of man to fall under others' influences so easily.

"And what makes you think I want to hang out with your sorry ass every morning for the next month," I added with a sassy bravado.

He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated huff, obviously irritated by the fact I didn't instantly take him up on his offer. I waited for some sarcastic remark to come out of him, but he remained impassive and waited for my response.

I let him sweat it out for one more minute as I stared him down before loftily replying with, "Fine."

Belikov finally rose off the platform, his long shadow towering over me and casting me in its shade. He marched over to me and I wondered if he was going to try and fight me that very instant as his hand suddenly jutted out. I moved to block it, before quickly realizing he was offering it to me instead. I had witnessed this exact ritual just yesterday, but somehow even this small gesture held so much more power than before. I hesitantly accepted and dropped it after one hurried shake of our arms.

He immediately turned his back to me and began heading to the center of the sparring ring. When he pivoted around I momentarily caught a glimpse of the back of his neck. I was taken aback when I spotted not one, but a plethora of Molnija marks, small tattoos shaped like lightning bolts coming together in an X. Each tattoo signified a Strigoi kill and was usually accompanied by our Guardian insignia upon entry of service. Many Guardians kept their hair shorter or pulled back to show them proudly. I supposed I had only seen him with his hair down up until that point, but for a moment I couldn't believe my eyes. I started to count them in my head, but before I could finish even half of them he whipped back towards me and hollered, "Are you coming or not?"

I hid my momentary lapse behind the guise of unfastening my belt and sheath. As I began walking over to the ring I pulled out a knife from my hip and cast it to the side. I took another few steps, slipping a small hatchet out of the back of my trousers chunking it to the ground and lastly, reached down to discard my stake that I kept hidden in an ankle harness. He raised an eyebrow as if to question why I would need so many weapons in the middle of training camp and I just shrugged in response.

He crouched down and raised his arms to his face, signaling that he was ready, and I mirrored his position on the opposing side. Without waiting for him to throw out another cocky remark like he did the day before, I launched into action, going on the offense once again. His feet remained planted as I charged at him, only moving a split second before my strike made contact with him. He was much faster than the day before, but I chalked it up to him picking up on the same move I had already thrown at him. I decided to go for a different tactic and went low. I feigned high just before swinging my leg down to sweep his out from under him, but he quickly blocked then countered with a jab that slammed into my chest. I staggered back under his incredible force, my feet skidding across the dirt as I tried to keep my back from toppling over. I whipped my head up, expecting him to be wearing a cocksure grin for finally getting a hit on me, but his face was completely hardened and dispassionate.

I decided this time to wait for him to make the first move since I had yet to get a good glimpse of his technique, and as I circled him, he obliged. He came at me with full force, his fists flying through the air wielding the power of a boulder with the speed of a hummingbird. I ducked and dodged his assail, leaving me no time to form one of my own.

Realizing I was too close to him and needing to get out of his reach, I moved slightly to the right causing him to adjust his feet. As soon as they parted I ducked down and slid through his open legs and threw a swift hit into his back as I rose to stand again. Where yesterday that move would have sent him staggering to the ground, today he only budged a couple small steps before righting his footing and throwing a back kick straight towards my abdomen.

I jumped back, avoiding the full impact of his force but still caught the tail end of it, pushing me slightly off balance. Sensing an opportunity, the giant Guardian rushed at me. I could practically see steam shooting from his nostrils as he barreled towards me. One of his arms wrapped around my waist and I quickly snaked my leg around his to use the momentum of his speed to angle us in another direction, sending us both straight into the post my knife had been lodged in mere days ago.

The impact sent us soaring apart and I shook my head to align my blurred vision. I heard a small groan to my left and jumped up to prepare for Belikov's next attack. I saw him momentarily favor his shoulder as he stood back up and mentally saved that minor injury for future use. We circled each other once again and after no more than a breath, we launched into a full-fledged brawl.

We grappled for what seemed like an hour, trading quick jabs and heavy blows equally. I could tell he was trying to read my maneuvers in order to predict my next move, so I kept changing up my tactics keeping him on his toes. Eventually, I could hear muffled shouts from the small crowd that had convened around us, but I pointedly ignored them, keeping my steely glare focused on the foreigner's next steps. They were sporadic yet calculated—a mix of power and speed that was difficult to decipher. Some of his techniques I had never even seen before.

I saw his feet press into a familiar stance and knew he was about to attack me from the left. I sensed my opportunity to finally finish him off and jolted to the right; however, it turned out to be a crushing mistake. Belikov spun around, avoiding my attack as if he had seen it coming from a mile away and swept my legs out from under me with one agile kick. I landed hard directly on my left side, my shoulder pounding into the unforgiving earth. I rolled onto my back to hurl myself up, but my assailant was waiting for me. With impossible speed for someone at his height, he sank down to the ground and pressed one of his knees across my torso, pinning me down. In a final attempt to free myself, I slammed my fist into his injured shoulder, causing him to roar out in pain. I thought it might be enough to launch his body off of mine, but before I could slip out Belikov raised his hands above his head and landed them directly onto the center of my chest—mimicking a killing blow to the heart.

My body was stunned still. I had lost. I never lost.

I stared at the hulking man above me wide-eyed and aghast. I waited for that self-assured grin to finally rear its head, but he just stared back at me as if he was in a similar state of stupor. I thought there would at least be some sense of pride for achieving his goal, but there was a look in his eyes that was almost...morose. My chest rose and fell underneath his hands as my shallow breaths only increased. I wasn't sure if it was from the exhaustion of the fight, the pressure from his knee...or something else.

The crowd around us went from deafening silence to a thunderous uproar, causing Belikov's impenetrable gaze to finally break. He swiftly hopped up and turned his back away. I slowly rose, still too dumbfounded to speak and watched as he marched across the camp towards the tented areas, snagging a bottle of wine off a nearby supply cart and roughly popping off the cork with his teeth in the process.

As he continued walking away from me with the bottle tilted up against his lips, the only thought running through my head was: What the _hell_ just happened?

After the initial shock finally wore off, fury set in. Here he had been parading around like he had the skills of a mule, yet he was one of the best fighters I had ever gone up against. _I was right_. That satisfying little thought was the only thing keeping me from setting his tent on fire.

When I approached it I flew the beige flap open without even bothering to announce myself. The now half empty bottle of wine was dangling in his right hand, his loose hair tangled in the other. He looked somewhat disheveled which should have prompted me to approach him with more finesse, but instead, I screamed, "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"

His hand dropped from his hair and he sat up a little straighter on his fur-lined bed. "Other than me beating you, I'm not sure what other explanation you're looking for."

I crossed my arms over my chest and let out a frustrated huff. "You hustled me."

"That wasn't my intention," he started. "However, I must say your skills were rather impressive and I thought you deserved a decent fight." That smirk I had been waiting for all day finally manifested and an overwhelming urge to chuck something at him arose in response. As my eyes darted around searching for an object I could throw, I finally took in my surroundings. His tent was actually quite large, tall enough for him to stand and wide enough to fit at least half a dozen more people in it. One corner held an impressive number of books and scrolls, and I was surprised the brut could even read. As I continued to skim the contents of his quarters, a glint of something metal caught my attention. I could only see a spec of the enticing silver, so I walked over to get a closer look. Belikov's back went rigid when he noticed what I had my sights on, only piquing my interest more.

I pulled back the red, tattered cloth that was covering it and couldn't hold back my astonished gasp even if I tried. If the signature scaled armor wasn't enough on its own the blazing phoenix emblem on the front of the ornate shield was a dead giveaway.

"You're...you're a," I stuttered, unable to believe my own eyes as I reached down to touch the glistening shield. My fingers lightly grazed across the sleek metal, the cool contact freezing my scattering thoughts into place. "These belong to Varangian Guard."

I shot my focus back over to Belikov, the bottle of wine now resting on the floor with his hands latched onto his knees. The Varangian Guard were known as some of the most elite soldiers in the entire world. The Byzantine emperors used to hire them to provide security in their kingdoms, but they also participated in many wars, often playing a decisive role since they were usually deployed at critical moments of battle. They held contrasting statuses of both mercenaries and royal guards. Despite all the stories I had heard about their unmatched skills in battle, I had never come face to face with one before.

The warrior met my stupefied gaze saying nothing to confirm or deny my statement, but in that moment I felt like I could finally see him clearly for the first time. The immaculate build, the stoic expressions, his unidentifiable accent, and the subtle storm behind his eyes. It all suddenly made sense. "That would mean you're from Kievan Rus," I gulped, knowing the tragic fate that became of the kingdom forged from the unity between Vikings and Slavs.

"Novgorod," he clarified, identifying the capital of the Rus lands.

"I thought...I thought the Rus Varangians all perished during the Mongolian invasion a few years ago. That there were no survivors?" We had heard about the struggles the human, and even some Dhampir, communities were having on the eastern borders against the Asian invaders. They had requested the help of the Guard along with back-up from several of our neighboring troops, but by the time any of the western fighters could arrive, they were already too late.

"Well, obviously there were," he rose off his bed and ran a hand through his hair, his fingertips pausing to unconsciously trace over the scar above his eye. There was a disappointed note to his voice that made me wonder if he had conflicting feelings about surviving. It happened every so often to those who witnessed detrimental casualties in the field, and I wondered how great the weight of his loss was that he carried with him.

Just when I started to feel a speck of remorse for the man, he picked up the bottle of wine off the floor and chugged the rest down. I was on the verge of admonishing him when another blinding discovery disturbed my verbal lashing.

"What. The hell. Is that?"

A giant wolf as big as some of our livestock strolled in like it was home and plopped down on the end of Belikov's bed. It stood at least 3 feet tall at the shoulders and had to weigh close to 200 lbs. It licked one of its massive paws and began running it over the silver and white fur of its face.

"I would have thought that would be obvious. She's a wolf," Belikov rose a menacing eyebrow at me.

"I meant what is it doing here," I practically shouted. "There are no pets allowed at camp."

The wolf let out a lethargic yawn and rolled on its side. "Daisy is not a _pet_ ," the foreigner defended, gesturing to the beast on his bed and regarding me with a comically serious look. "She's family."

"I don't give a shit if she's your sister or your goddamn wife you Coimheach. She's gotta go," I pointed to the still open entrance of his tent and the feral beast let out a low growl.

"Well, I think you have your answer," he all but laughed at me.

I resisted the urge to stomp my foot like an incensed child and stormed out of his tent before I made an even bigger fool of myself in front of him.

* * *

 **A/N** : Oooh Belikov, what have you been hiding? A few introductions this chapter: first is a peek at our newest OC, Daisy! She's a bit of a saucy bitch ;). Secondly, it took me a while (and way more research than I intended) to come up with a period-appropriate nickname for our favorite Rus warrior, since Comrades weren't around just yet. So here we get our first look at Rose's new nickname for him:

Translation for Coimheach - stranger, foreigner

Fun fact: The Kievan Rus and Novgorod were actually present in this time period. Eventually, the Mongols overran Kiev in the 13th century, destroying numerous cities in their wake; including Dimka's long-lost home. Also, the Varangian Guard were around during this time as well and were apparently pretty badass. Only natural that Dimitri would be one of these skilled warriors. Yay history!


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 1 Chapter 6**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Youth Knows No Pain by Lykke Li, Saint Claude by Christine and the Queens, Wasted Time by Best Coast**

Over the next couple of days training continued on as planned, and as far as Belikov I did what any mature adult would do...I ignored him. I had Mason and Eddie rotate early afternoon sessions with him that were basically just running, lifting, and other stamina drills to keep him busy. I made sure to dedicate the majority of my focus on the other recruits and began mentally taking notes since the following week we would be sorting them into even more specialized groups to focus intensely on areas that needed work. So far, no one had the guts to bring up the sparring match but I kept good on my word and let the other men go back to their normal schedule.

Inevitably, I would find myself at a training session near Belikov, and our interactions—if any—usually ended brusquely. One of those aggravating instances happened when I caught sight of that enormous beast in the middle of camp. Belikov was cutting his sword through the air above her, the wolf's eyes darting to where it landed and sometimes even before it made it there. Eddie and Mason watched with apparent awe, causing heat to rush up my collar.

"What did I tell you about that mutt," I shouted over to them. Their faces simultaneously darted over to me but looked more amused than concerned, so I emphasized my point, "No pets allowed at camp."

The fleabag let out another threatening growl at me and I bit down on my tongue to keep it from jutting out at her in response.

"Aw come on Rose. Lighten up," Mason whined.

"Yeah, she's not doing any harm," Eddie added.

I flicked my furious glare from the wolf to my traitorous friends and their eyes went down to the ground shamefully in response. Belikov just stood there with his hands crossed over his chest, that infuriating smirk resting calmly in place. Without another word I walked off and began observing another group, trying my best to delve in and distract myself in my work.

Sunday couldn't have come soon enough, which was something I never thought I'd hear myself say. Although I wasn't a devotional follower of our religious practices, I didn't think it was right to keep those who were from their weekly worship services and gave the troops the day off to attend if they so chose. Plus, it was one of the few tasks related to my familial title that Victor and Lissa insisted I uphold. Sitting through our priest's dull, monotonous droning was one of my least favorite activities, but knowing that I would get the day off to collect my thoughts was somewhat appealing after the week I'd had. Or so I thought.

Lissa and I were some of the first to arrive, as per usual. It gave others in the community a chance to greet us if they wished while we sat at one of the front pews. The last of the day's gleaming light faded from the tall, gothic window panes and a few members of the clergy finished lighting the ornate candles lining the chapel as a mix of attendees began to slowly file in. The soft yellowish hue from the candles gave the immaculate room a welcoming glow, offsetting the dramatic archways and sharp peaks of the pillared ceiling.

The crowd was larger than normal today, understandably since we had added a sizeable amount of Dhampirs within my troops and I was interested to see how they would mingle with the other townsfolk. I casually looked around to see if any of my men had already begun to strike up conversations with their new neighbors when my eyes landed on an unsettling sight. Belikov was seated alone in the back row, his gaze pointedly fixed on the large wooden cross at the center of the room.

"Ugh, seriously," I muttered under my breath as I quickly turned back around and slouched further into my seat.

"What is it," Lissa asked apprehensively. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing," I sharply replied as I fidgeted with my wool dress.

She nudged my shoulder with a surprising amount of force for her dainty stature and I quickly righted myself before falling off the edge of the wooden bench. I didn't even have a chance to ask her what the hell that was for before she quickly retorted with, "Out with it."

I lowered my voice and leaned in to avoid the chance of any eavesdropping from other patrons nearby. "It's him."

"Who? The devil," Lissa sniggered.

"Might as well be." Lissa just stared at me, waiting from me to clarify. "Belikov. He's here, in the back. I thought I'd get at least one day of peace without having to see him, but it seems he's hellbent on driving me mad."

"Belikov? The man that you've been going on about all week," the all too peppy Moroi asked as she whipped her head around.

"I have not been going on about him all week," I defended as her eyes wandered around the room.

"Oh please, Rose. I haven't heard you complain this much about a man since father hired us that linguist tutor."

"That's because he was an insufferable twat. Not so much unlike the brut in the back, actually," I added under my breath.

"Well, you failed to mention one pertinent detail about him." Her eyelids widened as she apparently landed her sights on him.

"What?" I peeked another look to see if there was something unusual about him today—maybe a horned helmet or an unsightly black eye—but aside from being somewhat more put together, he looked the same.

"That he's absolutely gorgeous," she gushed.

"He most certainly is not!"

Lissa's pale hair whipped around, nearly smacking me in the face in reaction to my outburst. She stared at me wide-eyed for a moment like I had just spoken in one of those foreign languages I refused to learn from our heinous tutor.

"Rose, you and I both know that is the most attractive man that has ever set foot in this place," she gestured behind us.

I lurched her arm back down and prayed to God that no one noticed where she was pointing, or who she was pointing to. "Will you hush?"

Not sensing my agitation she turned back to peer at him again, "I mean look at those muscles.."

"Lissa stop. You're drooling." She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to argue with me again, but luckily I was saved from her absurd assessment by the entrance of the holy priest. She flashed me a glare that said this conversation was far from over, which I pointedly ignored by feigning interest in whatever mumbo-jumbo that was coming out of the priest's mouth.

Just like every week, I tried to pay attention but after about five minutes my patience wore out and I succumbed to boredom. Lissa, the ever so diligent attendant, sat up straight and carefully listened to every word the priest spoke. I used the opportunity to steal glances around the room again to see if anything else was more appealing than the monotone old geezer up front.

I spotted two little boys fighting over a toy and silently made a bet to myself how long it would take their mother to lose her shit. Behind them, I could see a few of my men whispering to one another as their eyes traced over a fair maiden ahead of them. The lot of them should have been entertaining enough to keep me occupied for the remainder of the lecture, but for some reason, my eyes kept wandering back to where Belikov was seated, and I couldn't help but observe his reactions to the priest's sermon.

His focus was fixed ahead like the majority of the room, but I could tell the righteous words weren't sinking in and his thoughts were turned inward. His expression didn't give much away as to what he could be thinking about; he was holding on to that stone mask I had seen him latch on to from time to time—that is, when he wasn't being a total tool. I wasn't sure which demeanor was more frustrating. But as I looked closer, I couldn't help but think there was something mournful about him. _Strange_.

As if sensing my gaze, his eyes snapped over to meet mine. Embarrassed that I had been caught, I instantly turned around and tried—and failed—to cover it up by looking over to another group of my men before gluing my sights to the priest for the remainder of the service.

 _Smooth Rose. Real smooth_.

\

I let out an alleviated sigh when the sermon was finally over and stood up to head out with Lissa. Normally, we would indulge in the free time I had together, but Victor had requested a meeting with me so our gossip session would have to wait until later. Usually, I'd be disappointed in missing out on my alone time with her, but knowing that her particular topic of interest today would most likely revolve around the unruly foreign Guardian, I was selfishly relieved to postpone it.

That was until Lissa did the unthinkable.

"Why hello there, you must be one of our newest recruits," her sweet voice sang to none other than the aforementioned brut, and my limbs froze to a standstill beside her.

"Yes, your Highness. I am Guardian Belikov," he lowered his head in a decorative bow as she stopped to converse with him.

"Ah, Guardian Belikov. Rose has told me so much about you. It's a pleasure to finally put a face to the name." The blood in my veins instantly went from freezing to boiling and I could feel heat inch up my neck. I shot Lissa a look of disdain before his head rose back up from his bow.

"Has she now," an irritating grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as his eyes flicked from me back to her. "Well, I am honored to have even crossed her thoughts. Marshall Hathaway is a very gracious leader."

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from scoffing at the man. "It sounds like you made quite the journey to come here. We are pleased you were willing to travel so far to join our ranks."

"Your Highness, the pleasure is all mine. The Dragomir name has a long history of great nobility and integrity, so when I caught word of the need for more troops I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

 _What a load of bollocks_. Even without our assorted unpleasant interactions, I would have known instantly that this was one of the last places he wanted to be. The two continued small talk, Lissa getting giddier by the minute at his "charming" responses and before I could hurl all over the church floor, I abruptly interrupted. "Well, not that this hasn't been the highlight of my day, but I have a meeting I must be getting to. I'll see you later Liss."

I'm pretty sure they both said some sort of farewells to me, but I darted so quickly out of sight their voices were muffled through the crowd. I couldn't get to Victor's office any faster. It was housed in one of the castle towers, and after bolting up a ridiculous amount of steps I was practically panting. When I entered the room, his head of neatly combed black and silver hair was glued to a stack of parchments on the heavy table, but as he looked up to me his warm smile was a welcoming sight and I greeted him a little more enthusiastically than he expected.

"Ah, Rose. I assume the services were particularly mundane today to get you this excited for a war council meeting," he teased.

"Uncle Vic, you have no idea. I'm starting to think the priest's primary goal in life is to not only spread the word of God but also verify how long it takes to lull an entire town to sleep." The creases next to his eyes grew as he let out an amused chuckle. Those crows feet had become more defined over the past few years, understandably as he was now responsible for not just one adolescent girl, but three.

"Well, I do appreciate you suffering through it. I'm sure the townsfolk were pleased to see you ladies in attendance." I gave him a small nod and snagged an apple from his table as I took a seat next to him. My eyes skimmed over the parchments spread along the wooden surface. There were several hand-painted maps with the various surrounding kingdoms, Moroi and human alike.

Although we lived separately, Victor, Lissa, and I kept a close watch on our neighboring human populations. In the past, humans would recruit Dhampir warriors in their greatest time of need, the Varangian Guard being one of them. The Moroi and Dhampir resisted at first for wanting to keep our kind alive and to protect us from particularly intolerant human rulers, but the Dhampir had somewhat of a loyalty to our human side as well—many of us were even sired by humans and not just from the union between Dhampir and Moroi. It wasn't long after that the Moroi agreed in some of us partaking in human skirmishes once they found out about the effects of war on the Strigoi population.

Strigoi thrive on war. Some of them would scour the battlefields at night and promise injured or dying warriors left behind immortality for their service. Others would raid camps in the dead of night and take soldiers away, covering their tracks under the guise that the men had abandoned their post and were declared deserters.

The human kingdoms near our lands hadn't called on us for aid in many years. The Sage King was one of such who harbored a strong disdain for the Moroi. There were those that thought all vampires were evil, not just Strigoi, and did everything within their power to stay away from us. The Sage King had agreed and managed to keep peace with his surrounding kingdoms and us, but it was a fragile relationship that hung by a wilting thread. One that Victor was hellbent on protecting.

"So, anything particular you wanted to talk to me about or just an update on the new recruits," I asked as I took a bite of the juicy green fruit.

"Actually, both," he started. "I am interested in the progress of a particular Guardian I invited to join our ranks. I heard word that he was available for service and asked him to come, but have yet to steal a chance to meet him. I was hoping you could give me some information on Guardian Belikov before I invite him to join us for dinner."

I practically choked on my next bite of apple as that name shattered the relative quietness of the room. "Did you say Guardian Belikov," I coughed out.

"Yes. He is quite revered in your field where he comes from. I am surprised you have not heard of him before," I sat there silently, too stunned to argue. I had only caught a glimpse of his fighting skills and only recently became aware of his affiliation with the Varangian Guard, but there had to be much more to him than that if Victor had heard of him before. "I originally asked him to come join us as High Constable, your second in command, but he refused. I thought he may have been insulted by the position since he was technically higher ranked with the Varangian Guard, so imagine my surprise when he replied a week later that he would be joining as one of the troops instead."

"He _asked_ to be demoted?" It was a question more to myself than to Victor, which he seemed to catch on to since he didn't offer a reply. Before I could think more on that tidbit of information, something else that Victor had said sparked a new line of questioning. "Wait, High Constable? Why would you ask him to join as my second in command?"

I knew Victor had faith that I could do my job well, or he wouldn't have appointed it to me. So why did he ask a stranger to come in and work beside me? A member of the Varangian Guard at that. If he wanted someone to watch over me and make sure I was getting the job done, there were plenty of other men here to do that for him. So if not to keep an eye on me, then the only other explanation for it could be—

My eyes darted up to his as he patiently watched my thoughts flip through my head. "You brought him in to replace me?!"

"Now before you get ahead of yourself, let me explain."

I jumped up out of my seat and began pacing in front of the table as my outburst echoed off the stone walls. "Explain?! I haven't even been Field Marshall for a full month and you already want to replace me? That's not even enough time to prove myself. How could you do this?!"

"Rose," his stern voice interrupted my rant. "I insist you calm yourself this instant."

I looked over to Victor again, immediately halting the thousand other arguments threatening to spill from my running mouth. His serious expression told me that this was not the time to lose my shit, so I sat down and prepared myself to hear what he had to say. "I'm practically the epitome of calm, Vic," I muttered into my chin with a sarcastic bite, still too pissed to fully comply without objection.

He pulled his chair closer to mine and softened his voice as he spoke. "I am not replacing you, Rose. I know how hard you've worked to earn this position and believe you are the best person to lead our troops. However, the Dragomir line is limited and we are in desperate need of allies." I looked down to my lap, suddenly fully aware where this familiar conversation was heading. Victor's hand moved off the table and rested on top of my shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Eventually, you will have to succumb to your duties as Princess and help us seal an alliance with marriage. I know this isn't what you want, what either of you wants, but it is necessary for the greater good of the kingdom."

I bit down, clenching my teeth together as hard as I could to keep any protests from seeping out. He was right, I knew he was, but there was a part of me that would always want to rebel against the responsibilities I was burdened with. I looked up to align my face with his and gave him a curt nod in response. His expression saddened slightly as he gazed back at me.

"With all the other obligations you will have to eventually face, I did not want the sake of your troops to be one of them. I had hoped that bringing someone as skilled and experienced and Guardian Belikov to work with you would help ease your mind a little when the time came to step down. But it seems that isn't exactly going according to plan so far."

 _He had no idea_.

"I was hoping you could coax him into reconsidering the position. It would be in all our best interests if he complied." I was about to tell him there was no way that would be happening, but the hopeful look in his blue-green eyes that reminded me so much of Eric Dragomir's tugged at my heart. He had gone through so much effort for me by not only letting me live out my dreams—however short-lived—but also making sure that I would be presented with the best case scenario for when I was forced to abandon them. He truly was a good man and was doing what was right, no matter how dejected it made me feel. So without thinking how hard it would be to get a man who barely wanted to participate as a troop to take up a leadership role, or how much the idea of even conversing with him made me want to pummel something, I agreed.

"I understand, Victor. I'll do my best."

He gave me a commending smile that lifted my spirits the tiniest bit and squeezed my shoulder before dropping his hand. "Thank you, Rose. You have turned out to become such an admirable woman," he let out a small breath as he leaned back in his chair. "Your parents would be so proud. As proud as I am now."

Though his words were meant to reassure me, I felt a deep longing sink into me that somehow weighed me down. I'd do almost anything to talk to Rhea and head her thoughtful advice again. I gave Victor another nod before standing to exit the room.

My thoughts swirled as I aimlessly walked down the spiraling stone steps and headed towards the front gate. Once I reached outside I tossed my half eaten apple to the ground, no longer having an appetite for it. I didn't even manage to take one more step before an intruding voice called out to me.

"You know wasting food like that is considered a sin in some parts of the world." I managed to hold in my vexation and slowly turned around to face the owner of that barbaric accent. Sure enough, Belikov was casually leaning against the wall beside our tall wooden gate. The massive timbered structure tended to dwarf any passersby, but somehow the Dhampir still looked as sturdy as a Daur Tree as he stood beside it.

"What are you doing here? Are you following me or something," I accused.

"Or something." His smartass reply did little to affect my already sour mood so I just stood there waiting for him to elaborate. He pushed off the wall and began to walk towards me. "I was escorting Princess Vasilisa back to the castle and she thought you'd want some company on your way back to camp."

"Of course she did," I huffed under my breath. I looked him over with a frown as he stood in front of me and turned to walk away. After what Victor and I discussed I should have been making more of an effort to make amends with him, but I really wasn't up for the task just yet. Unfortunately for me, the eejit couldn't take a hint and fell in step with me as I walked. Each step we took my emotions began to rise. It was becoming harder to hold back everything that was hovering over me and I began twirling my necklace with my fingers.

"Is something the matter," Belikov asked after several long moments of silence.

I kept my eyes ahead, refusing to look at him and let him see even a hint of the storm building within me. There was no way in hell I would be discussing anything that had just gone on in that meeting, so instead, I reached for another topic that had been digging at me. "Why do you treat Lissa with so much more respect than me?"

"Lissa?"

"Yes. Her _Highness_ Princess Vasilisa," I clarified with annoyance. It's not like I wanted him going around bowing when I walked in or calling me by my royal title, but it bothered me how polite and respectful he was to her when all he had shown me was irreverence.

"Why," he took an impossibly large step ahead and turned to face me, halting me in my tracks before I ran directly into his broad chest. "Are you jealous?"

I dropped my hand from my pendant and finally looked up to his amused face. Refusing to let his brash comments affect me as he so clearly wanted, I threw another question back at him to give him a taste of his own medicine. "Are you threatened by having a woman in charge?"

His response was immediate and surprisingly sincere. "No," he remained at a standstill, looking at me like my question was more unbelievable than his. "Why would you think that?"

"Most men are," I stared up at him obstinately.

Belikov slowly leaned down so that our faces were aligned and lowered his deep voice as his eyebrow rose. "Well, I'm not most men."

Fed up with his inability to take anything seriously I brushed my arm against his and stepped around him, doubling my earlier pace. After a couple of long strides, he fell in line with me again and let out a deflated sigh. "My former commander was a woman. Galina."

It was difficult to hide my shock at his quiet admission when my focus darted back up to him; however, I remained silent since it seemed to be the best way to get him to speak frankly with me. "It's not that I don't like authority—yours or anyone else's—it's the fighting I don't like."

Apparently now it was his turn to stubbornly look ahead as he avoided my questioning stare. Most people would have been baffled by that kind of response, given his impeccable skills in combat and apparent flourishing reputation, but admittedly I understood where he was coming from. Although necessary, sometimes what we did felt like a burden, and the marks on the backs of our necks were only a swift reminder of each of those gruesome moments.

Rather than putting us both in a poor mood, I decided to take Eddie's advice and channeled the old Rose by teasing the Dhampir instead. "Well I hate to break it to you Coimheach, but you're in the wrong place if you're against fighting."

He let out a small hum and a closed-lipped smile that somehow seemed more genuine than the others he had been flashing. "You're probably right. Anyways, wasn't it you that said 'at this camp, respect is not given it's earned'?"

"I thought you were asleep for that?"

"I heard about it later," he deftly evaded the topic of him sleeping through the first hour of camp. "And after the show of your skills during our matches, you are well on your way of earning mine." He reached over to his side and produced the dagger I had thrown at him a few days prior. I snatched it from his hand and was about to tell him he had some nerve saying that to me, but he cut me off before I could get anything out. "You are one of the best fighters I have fought in a very long time. And I'm not just saying that as a female warrior. It's obvious there is more than one reason why you hold the position you do."

Once again, the foreign warrior bewildered me with a simple turn of words. One moment he was practically insulting me, and the next he was giving me high praise. It was becoming impossible to get a read on him, something I prided in my ability to do, but this time rather than feel frustrated about it—I felt intrigued.

I thought about what Victor had said and realized that there had to be more than impressive battle skills for him to want to invite Belikov to join us, in a high-ranking position nonetheless, so I did something I absolutely hated doing. I swallowed my pride.

"Thank you for that, but after the other day, it's obvious that there is still more that I could learn," I slipped the dagger into its holster on my hip and thrummed my fingers along the hilt. "I've been wanting to develop some new techniques to keep the troops on their toes and was wondering if...I was hoping you would…" I nervously chewed on my bottom lip, knowing I was about to give him a ripe opening to torment me with his ridiculous form of jesting. His pace slowed down as he waited for me to finish and I practically blurted it out before I could change my mind. "Guardian Belikov, would you consider participating in additional training sessions with me before camp? Not as punishment, but as...informative, if you will," I added.

He looked me over for a moment as if he was assessing me, and confidently replied, "Yes."

No jokes, no smirks, just a simple yes. I didn't believe it for a second. "Really?"

"Yes, _really_ ," he tried to emulate an irritating impersonation of my voice. "I knew it would only be a matter of time before you desired spending more time with me." And there it was.

"Don't push your luck Coimheach."

"You know, that's the third time you've called me that. If you are going to insult me, you should at least tell me what it means."

We had finally approached camp and I spotted Eddie and Mason over by one of the fire pits waving me down. I turned to Belikov and flashed him a wicked grin as I began walking backward away from him. "And where would the fun in that be?"

"I thought the serious Marshall Hathaway didn't believe in fun," he called after me.

I turned my back to him, flipping my loose hair over my shoulder before looking over it to say, "Belikov, you don't know the first thing about me."

* * *

 **A/N:** Some new introductions in this chapter. Lissa finally gets to meet our foreign warrior and we get our first glimpse of Victor. Dickitri is still out to play, but he's obviously harboring some deeper thoughts from Rose. As you may have noticed, Rose's slang and swearing tend to jump around between different cultures/languages. This comes from the idea that she's grown up around a variety of different backgrounds from recruits and her friends so she's got a plethora of ammo when it comes to insulting people. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always, thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 1 Chapter 7**

 **DPOV**

 **Song:** **Kiss the Sky by Shawn Lee's Ping Pong,** **I Need A Forest Fire by James Blake**

As the night carried on I deftly watched her out of the corner of my eye, examining her in what was supposed to be our night off. A few of the men had set up some fires for us to gather around and brought in some barrels of ale and wine. At first, I wondered if Rose even had the ability to be carefree, but as I observed her I quickly noticed a lighter side of her I hadn't expected.

She was right, I really knew nothing about her.

I had expected her to sit in a corner with Ashford and Castile, glaring at the rest of us as we indulged in our free time. But I was pleased to find my assumptions were completely wrong. She laughed with her friends, toasted with a few camp members, and even blatantly flirted with some of the men. Not that anyone believed it would actually lead to anything. There was no denying that she was an attractive woman and that coupled with her resilient attitude and high rank made her well beyond anyone's league here, but it was amusing nonetheless. Our gazes met across the campfire a few times throughout the night, but I decided not to approach her again. We had made some positive progress that day and I didn't want to take a chance on soiling it.

The only thing that seemed to deter her mood in the slightest was when Daisy walked over to join us by the warm fire. I could see the beginnings of a scowl form on Rose's face, but a fresh pint of ale shoved into her hands was distraction enough to snuff out her objections. I decided to go back to my tent after a couple of drinks, not wanting to over-indulge before our first training session. I had to admit, I was somewhat looking forward to it. Normally, the thought of fighting would send me straight to the bottle in anticipation of the memories that would follow, but this time I felt different. I wasn't haunted by the memories of my past as much as I was excited about the prospect of making new ones in the future.

Rose wasn't just another ignorant warrior who wanted to learn how to fight so she could achieve some fantasy of eternal glory. Her motivations were stemmed by the idea of bettering others. She hadn't even hinted towards the fact that she was looking for a way to best me in a rematch or increase her skill to take down more assailants in battle. It made the decision to train with her easy. Not to mention the benefits it would have for me as well. I wasn't just blowing smoke when I told her that she was one of the best fighters I had gone up against. She beat me the first time for a reason, and I was interested in obtaining a few maneuvers from her as well.

As we started our early sessions, each day I was learning more and more. Like how she was a remarkable quick-study and picked up on moves faster than anyone I'd ever trained with. Or how her brow scrunched on her forehead whenever I showed her a maneuver she didn't quite understand. And then there was her one, true love...the sun. I had assumed Rose had an affinity for it when she dealt out our punishment that first day, but now it was apparent how much she adored it. She stole any small moment she could to soak up its rays; from grabbing a drink of water to pulling up her boundless hair, her face always found its way skyward as if she was clinging to every possible moment of it she could.

Our relationship could only be described as professional, which was a huge step up from where we were the week before. Other than discussing technique and adjustments to our moves, we didn't speak much. Well, except for the occasional complaint about an unexpected visitor.

"Ugh, I can't concentrate with that fleabag watching us," she groaned as she flung a pointed finger in Daisy's direction. I looked over to see my furry companion quietly sitting in place as a soft breeze rustled her thick coat.

"Well, I can't very well tell her to leave so you're just going to have to deal with it," I shrugged.

"Bullshit you can't! I've seen you with her. I know she listens to your commands. Make her go scamper through the woods or roll around in some hay. Whatever wild muts like her usually do." Daisy tilted her head as Rose spoke, looking at me questioningly the way she did sometimes.

"Okay, Daisy," I gave out an authoritative voice. "Marshall Hathaway is embarrassed to train in front of you. Go 'scamper through the woods or roll around in some hay' so she can concentrate." Daisy immediately flopped onto the ground and began rolling her back against the grass with her tongue hanging out of her wide open mouth.

"Seriously," Rose huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "And I never said I was embarrassed."

"I told you, she's not a pet. She has a mind of her own," I tried my best to suppress a smirk since I knew it would only irritate her more.

"Ugh, fine," she practically stomped in defiance. "If she won't leave, then we will." The fiery Dhampir picked up a couple of her smaller weapons and placed them around various hidden spots on her body before walking away from our makeshift sparring ring. She turned around to see me still standing in place and asked with apparent annoyance, "You coming or what?!"

I strode over towards her, stopping briefly to rub Daisy's exposed belly before joining her side. "Where to, Marshall?"

After about half an hour of walking in complete silence, and in the opposite direction of the castle, I was beginning to wonder where on earth we were going. When Rose finally stopped at the edge of the emerald treeline bordering the kingdom, my confusion was only multiplied. I stood next to her, quietly waiting for some kind of explanation when she turned her face up to mine, a wild look dancing in her dark eyes.

"Try to keep up," was the only hint of what she planned to do before she dashed into the woods. Although we had been training together for a few days I had yet to see her speed at a full sprint. It was as if I blinked and all of a sudden she was gone. I raced into the opening after her, trying to compensate for the head start she had gained.

My long legs worked their way up to her, but before I could catch her she nimbly darted in another direction. I corrected my course, trying to keep her pace while ducking and dodging low hanging branches in the process. Dark hair threaded between the trees as she whipped by me, the bright green of the mossy woods a complete contrast to her almost black locks.

Eventually, I began concentrating on the protruding roots and fallen trunks as I found my stride. Rather than watching where Rose was going, I started to take in my surroundings and enjoy the warm, fresh air. As I increased my pace, I felt her small form appear beside me and join me down a similar path. This place was unlike anywhere I had ever seen. I was surrounded by an array of bright and muted greens in every direction. I realized that I could easily get lost in here if I wasn't careful, however, as I admired the beauty of the forest I thought maybe I wouldn't mind disappearing so much. After what felt like only a few minutes but judging by how much sweat I was producing was probably closer to an hour, Rose called out, "Come on. This way."

She slowed her pace slightly allowing me to fall behind and we leisurely jogged to what appeared to be another clearing. Before we reached the edged she slowed to a calming walk and I met her speed, taking long drags of air through my nose. I looked ahead, trying to see what was beyond the opening and could feel Rose's eyes on me as I did. When we walked through the last of the thinning trees, I felt like the breath I had finally managed to catch immediately left my lungs.

I pushed my hair back from my damp face as I stood in place, admiring the scene before me. There was an enormous cliffside surrounded by the lush forest we had just run through. On the other side was the most striking sunset I had ever seen peering over massive hillsides. It was as if the sky was on fire. Gusts of wind strong enough to knock someone down rushed by us, whistling through the trees as it made its way around my tall form. I looked over to my right, finally tearing my eyes away from the enrapturing scene to see Rose perched at the edge of the rocks. I walked over and sat down beside her, letting my legs dangle over the side. We leaned back on our hands and watched as the soft clouds swirled around the deep orange and red colors of the sunset.

After a few lingering moments I finally asked, "How did you find this place?"

"My brother Andre," she quietly spoke. "We used to come here as kids. Lissa was always too afraid to wander past the wards, but Andre was fearless," a small, sad smile inched up her cheeks as she reminisced. "He used to say that even death would be too entranced by this beauty to find us here, but if it ever tore its gaze away long enough to spot us he'd welcome death with open arms."

I'd heard about the tragic accident involving the Dragomir family. News had spread to Novgorod when Ivan was still at the Rus court. It was a travesty to the Moroi society. I remained silent, allowing her to peacefully bask in her brother's memory. As we sat there watching the sun slowly descend I saw a speck of light reflect off a single tear rolling down her cheek, but didn't dare mention it or even turn to bring attention to it. I kept my eyes forward and allowed the sun to pour it's warmth into us before it left for the night. After a while, she finally picked herself up off the ground and began walking back toward the trees. "Let's go. Lissa gets worried when I stay out so close to dark."

Before she could take off into the woods again, I gently grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face me. "Thank you for taking me here," I spoke sincerely as I looked over the scene one last time.

When I turned to face her again, she was looking directly into my eyes, as if she was waiting for them to meet hers. I got that strange feeling that she was trying to look through me again, but this time I didn't match her with a steely look hoping to turn her away. "You're welcome," she said quietly, glancing at me for one more lingering instant before walking back into the woods.

I wasn't sure if she found what she was looking for or just gave up, but either way that look left me feeling somewhat confounded once again.

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Memories by Lewis Del Mar**

I leaped up from the ground before his fist could slam into my chest and pulled onto the back of his arm to simultaneously wrench myself up and shove him down. Belikov stumbled forward and I came up behind him, preparing to jump on his back. Sensing my intentions, he spun out of the way and turned to face me head on.

I altered my stance and prepared to throw one of the new moves he had taught me. I could tell he saw where I was going with it—he had shown it to me after all—so I decided to add my own twist to throw him off. Where normally my kick would have landed just above his right knee, I waited for him to switch his weight to the left in an attempt to avoid my attack. As soon as he did I switched my tactic and pressed my heel into his left thigh as I propelled myself up onto his torso, wrapping my other leg around his chest and flinging us to the ground. He landed hard onto the dirt and I yelled out in victory as my hands came down onto his chest.

I expected him to let out a defeated groan but instead, he seemed almost pleased. "Nice move," he breathed out.

"Thanks." I hopped off of him and held out a hand to help him up. It had been a little over a week of our private training sessions and I could already see massive improvements...in both of us. He was a completely different fighter than that first match. His moves were calculated and graceful with the power of an ox. When I had asked where he had learned some of his unusual technique he told me from the Vikings.

"We fought alongside them, not against them," he had said.

It was a strange concept to me since our only interactions with them were protecting ourselves or a nearby human kingdom from their raids. They were savage and ruthless, but their fighting skills were beyond impressive. I had heard that the Rus kingdoms had allied with Vikings, but listening to someone with first-hand knowledge of it piqued my interest.

"They've been known to be extremely formidable in combat," I informed him. We didn't often have many run-ins with them in their human state since we were so far from the coast but as Strigoi...Vikings were among the most powerful. Their robust stature rivaled many Dhampirs and their abilities in battle carried over into their transformed state, only amplified by the cruelty and bloodlust Strigoi exuded. "It would be beneficial if we could demonstrate these maneuvers to the troops in anticipation of an attack. If we used their own moves against them, it would surely bring us a swifter victory."

"Is that so?" The sweaty Dhampir splashed some water on his face, no doubt recognizing exactly what I was getting at.

"I was hoping you would participate in some demonstrations during training with me and some of the others. What do you think, Belikov?" I waited for him to consider my request while he sloshed some of the water around in his mouth before spitting it out onto the ground.

"On one condition." _Of course there'd be a catch_.

"Okay, what?"

"I'll do it if you call me Dimitri." He stood with his arms crossed as if to transform himself into an impenetrable wall.

"Seriously? That's your request," I asked speculatively.

"Yes. You let Eddie, Mason, and the Princess call you Rose," he argued as he took a few steps closer to me.

"That's because they're my friends."

"What, you don't want to be my friend?" He leaned down and raised that promiscuous eyebrow at me.

I matched his posture and crossed my arms over my chest protectively at his close proximity. "I don't know you."

Sensing my slight uneasiness, he dropped his arms and took a step back. "Well, then maybe we should change that. Get to know each other better. Since we will be training together again tonight."

"Actually, it wouldn't be tonight. We'll have to start tomorrow," I attempted to deter his motives to get to know more about me. "I have to meet with Lissa tonight."

"The day is irrelevant. Do we have a deal, or will you be looking elsewhere for your... _demonstrations_?" I guess he wasn't as easy to distract as Mason or Eddie.

"Fine," I relented. "But I get to go first." A smug look began to form on his face at his self-proclaimed victory.

I tried to think of something that would throw him off, but my short patience wore thin and I just blurted out the first question that came to mind. "How long did you serve under Galina?"

"I fought _alongside_ her for almost four years before she retired," he corrected my choice of words. "But before that, I trained with her almost my entire youth."

"How did she—"

"Ehem," he interrupted. "I believe it is my turn." I rolled my eyes in anticipation of his, no doubt, inappropriate question that was yet to come. "Have you ever lived anywhere besides St. Vladimir's Valley?"

My brows scrunched and I shook my head slightly before answering. "No, I've always lived here with my family. What would make you think otherwise?" His question was strange. Maybe as just a Dhampir warrior I could have had the option to live elsewhere by being recruited or choosing to take up a different position as my mother had, but my Royal title prevented me from doing so.

"You just don't look like you are from here. There is something foreign about you that I can't quite place." He looked over me as if he was examining my features and I fidgeted nervously under his stare. It was no secret that I didn't look like any of the other Dragomirs, but most people had just assumed it was because of my Dhampir lineage. No one had ever accused me of being foreign.

"Calm down Coimheach. That's probably just your outsider loins tingling to find someone like them. But I assure you, I'm not."

"Did you just refer to my loins," he chuckled. "How un-princess-like of you."

I placed my hands on my hips proudly and flipped my thick braid over my shoulder. "You may not know much about me yet, but it should've been obvious by now that I'm not your ordinary princess. Now, I believe it is my turn again."

I considered asking something that might embarrass him to try and even the playing field— like whether he preferred braies or bare under his trousers—but could only imagine the bucket of worms that would knock over for him to ask me in return. No, I'd dig deeper than that. Something that would test him to see if he was serious about getting to know me or was just playing another one of his games. As I looked over him, trying to land on the perfect question one quick glance at his face brought the perfect one to mind. "Tell me about your scar."

He looked down to his arms briefly, his eyes roaming across a couple lighter streaks that were most likely obtained in a fight, but I interrupted his search before he could say anything about them. "No, not those. That one," I took a step closer and pointed to the spot on his forehead where I had caught glimpses of the whitened skin. "I've seen your hand graze it from time to time. Like a nervous tick. Tell me, where did you get it?"

Finally understanding what I was asking, he immediately shut down and slapped on that stone mask he wore when he preferred to hide his emotions completely rather than cover them up with humor. I had struck a nerve.

He bent down and began to gather his things. "What? You're not going to tell me?"

"No," he quietly responded as he turned to leave.

"Now hold on there, this was your idea. I thought you wanted us to get to know each other more."

"Not about that," his voice bit out as his face whipped around to me again. There was a sharpness to his tone that I had never heard before. It sliced through the air like a pointed dagger and admittedly...it scared me a little. But what seized me even more was the pained anger behind his eyes. It was a combination of blazing fury and overwhelming heartache that could only be brought on by great loss. It was a look that would drive a man to either tear down an entire field of men, or crash down to his knees in agony. It was only there for an instant before his eyes closed and a calmer look appeared in its place. His voice smoothed out with his expression as he indifferently added, "Goodnight, Rose," before storming off back towards camp.

I opened my mouth to speak, to apologize, to say anything really, but I was dumbfounded. I felt like I had finally gotten my first true look at what was inside this perplexing man, and now...I wasn't sure what to think of it. I could only assume I had been right about that scar harboring some kind of deeper meaning, and I was suddenly terrified to discover what it was.

* * *

 **A/N** : Well, look at these two finally getting to know one another. They are both catching glimpses of things the other person tries to keep hidden. A big shoutout to Gaya for the song suggestion, I Need A Forest Fire. It sets the perfect atmosphere for their run through the emerald forest and almost ended up being the title of this story. I absolutely love it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 1 Chapter 8**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs:** **Riverside by Agnes Obel, Tessellate by alt-J,** **Blue Moon by Beck**

I dunked the thin garment into the water and swirled it around before bringing it out and letting the droplets fall back into the stream. "And not to mention, his insane mood swings. Dimitri goes from acting like a complete buffoon to a sulking degenerate faster than you can say dryshite." I wrapped the ends of the fabric around my fists and twisted it to ring the remaining water out.

"Oh, so we're calling him Dimitri now," Lissa indicated.

I tried to think of a way to correct my slip up, but knew it was useless after one peek at her cheeky face. "Well, that is his name after all." I laid the damp garment onto a rock nearby and fished out another one from our laundry basket before continuing my rant. "And on top of that, everything he does has to come with strings attached. He can't just agree to something like a normal person. He has to—"

"You like him," Lissa blurted out so loudly I thought the entire kingdom might hear us, despite being well out of earshot of the castle walls.

"Like him?!" I plunged the wet garment into the water harder than necessary, flinging droplets at the both of us. "Haven't you been listening to anything I've been saying?!"

"Oh, I've been listening. And let me tell you," she wiped some of the water off her arms and pointed one of her thin fingers at me, "you've got it bad."

"I haven't got anything but contempt for the man," I scoffed.

"Come on, Rose. He's not that bad. And that face! I don't know how you can look at him all day and not fall over from heat waves," she dramatically fanned herself with her hands. I started to ask if she had fallen and hit her head on the way down here when she interrupted me once again. "If you say otherwise, that only proves you're trying to cover something up. You and I both know he's more than handsome."

I let out a small growl at the stalemate I had suddenly found myself in. I thought for a moment about how his soft brown eyes complimented his sharp facial features and the silky shine to his hair when he was sober enough to clean it. Ugh, I hated when Lissa was right. Especially when it was about something I didn't even want to admit to myself. "Fine," I frustratingly barked. "I'll admit, he does have _some_ attractive qualities. But that doesn't mean he couldn't use a good kick up the arse and DEFINITELY doesn't mean I like him."

"Mmm hmm. Just keep telling yourself that," Lissa hummed to herself. Fed up with her self-satisfied demeanor I leaped off my perch and tackled her into the water. She squealed as we landed in the shallow stream and cried out, "Rose! My hair!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Princess. Did I soil your lovely locks? How clumsy of me."

"Why you little—" One of her hands came up out of the stream, bringing three mid-sized bubbles of water with it. They hovered in the air spinning in small circles before her fingers jerked to fling the bubbles at my head. I laughed as they landed on top of me, making a faint popping sound as her magic made contact with my hair. I splashed a couple handfuls at her again until we were in a full out war, laughing loud enough to make our stomachs cramp.

"Alright, alright. Truce," she eventually shouted with her hands above her head. I was seconds away from calling a ceasefire myself but indulged in my victory nonetheless. When our laughter started to die down I sauntered out of the stream and began picking up all of our laundry off the rocks.

As I reached down for the last slip a small gasp escaped Lissa behind me, "Rose."

I whipped around, my instincts immediately telling me that something was wrong. I pulled Lissa behind me before I even saw what had startled her, only to find we were in far more trouble than I imagined. Six tall figures strode towards us out of the trees. I knew instantly that they weren't Strigoi with the clouded sun still hanging low, which gave me some hope that we stood a chance; unfortunately, those hopes were crushed when I heard their voices.

"Vikings," Lissa whispered fearfully.

"It's alright, Liss. We'll be fine," I tried to put as much confidence in my voice as I could while I shakily reached a hand behind me.

A blonde man with dreadlocks tied at the base of his neck called out something to me that I didn't understand, but there was no mistaking the malice in his tone. My fingers wrapped around the hatchet tucked in my trousers as a few droplets of water—or sweat—dripped off my face. Two, even three, of them I could handle no problem. But I was currently outnumbered and only had weapons that were useful in close proximity. I might have been able to wound them by throwing my weapons straight into their chests, but then I would be no match against their swords.

One of the men in the back swung his axe in circles beside him, creating a faint whistling sound as it sliced through the air. I pulled my hatchet out and sunk down into a defensive pose, letting them know I wasn't going down without a fight. "Liss when I say run, you run."

"No, Rose. I am not leaving you," she whimpered.

"Do what I say," I bit back.

The one who spoke earlier started to come closer, his feet splashing against the same water Lissa and I had just been carelessly playing in. I raised my hatchet above my head in warning, eliciting a laugh from the ruffians. Some of them stood there with their arms crossed and a smile adorning their faces as they prepared themselves to enjoy what they thought would be an easy defeat. When the approaching Viking's pace didn't slow I nudged Lissa further behind me and stepped towards him. His head tilted to the side in amusement, but I didn't wait to hear what he planned to say or for another laugh to escape his cracked lips. I advanced towards him, channeling one of the moves Belikov had taught me and sent him crashing into the stream with two quick strikes. I avoided using my weapon, hoping that by sparing his life it would prevent the others from reigning down on us, but unfortunately, it appeared I wouldn't be so lucky.

Three more men began to make their way towards me as the blonde fellow on the ground clumsily rose from the stream, wiping water from his face and pulling out a very large, very sharp dagger. I lurched my hatchet back, ready to strike, but before either of us could make our move another voice burst into the scene.

"Stǫðva! Fara frá!" The Viking whipped his head in the direction of the new voice, but I kept my focus nailed in place. Whoever it was, he was speaking their language.

"Døkkálfar! Hata að Døkkálfar," one of the other Vikings shouted back. I was about to point my weapon in the direction of the closer voice when the intruder beside us finally stepped into my line of sight. I was just as floored as I was relieved to see Dimitri standing next to Lissa and me. He stepped into the water between us and the Vikings with his hands raised in the air.

"Nei, né Døkkálfar," his deep voice had a calming note as he spoke to them. "Hægr þjóð. Skap-góðr"

Another burly man yelled out in defiance to Dimitri as the others nodded in agreeance. A red-headed Viking to the right pointed his axe in Lissa's direction and my lips curled up into a snarl. As I stepped back towards her I realized Belikov wasn't alone. His giant wolf had followed him as well and she was standing defensively at his back with her teeth bared.

The tall, ginger man pointed at the empty space where his K9 teeth should have been, then back to Lissa again as his voice rose. Dimitri shook his head and continued to talk to them until the men in the back seemed slightly less agitated.

"What's he saying," Lissa whispered into my hair.

"I'm not sure." I lowered my hatchet to my side as their voices became tamer, but maintained my tight grip around its hilt.

"Ganga af. Nátt, skóg-land hœttr. Ganga af." Dimitri pointed up to the sky, then to the woods behind them. The Vikings followed his arm and turned around to inspect the treeline before eyeing each other.

Without giving them a chance for a response, Dimitri reached into his pocket and tossed a coin in their leader's direction. Light sparked off the silver as it crossed through the last of the sunset's dim beams just before it landed safely in the Viking's hand. "Taka góðvili."

The invader threaded the coin through his fingers as the rest of us stood there still as statues. He looked up to Dimitri and Daisy then over to us, his stare radiating disdain for Lissa. I stepped in front of her, shielding her from their view and the ashy-blonde Viking turned his gaze back over to Dimitri. He gave him a curt nod as he tossed the coin in the air before catching it again in his palm then called out to his men behind him. They simultaneously turned away and headed across the field, vanishing into the approaching night.

"Are they gone," Lissa asked from behind me.

"Yes, and they won't be coming back," Dimitri turned to face us as he answered her.

Lissa shot out from behind me and rushed to the large Dhampir's side. She latched onto his arm and pulled him closer to her. "Thank you. Thank you Guardian Belikov."

"Don't worry, Princess. You're safe. Everything's al—"

"I don't know what I would do if anything happened to Rose. Thank you. Thank you for keeping her safe." Dimitri's eyes widened as he looked over to me, obviously shocked to hear that she cared more about my life than her own—just another thing we had in common I guess. I knew very well that most Moroi saw themselves as above Dhampirs and believed our sole purpose was to protect them, but not the Dragomirs. Family was everything to Lissa and me, no matter race, blood, or status.

It was something I tried to emphasize to my new recruits as best I could, but it was one thing hearing it from their appointed leader and another actually seeing it. I tucked my hatchet back into its holster and reached down for Lissa's discarded basket.

"Of course, your Highness," was all Belikov could muster out as he turned back to her.

"Come on Lissa. Let's get you back inside," I gently tugged her arm, guiding her towards the safety of the walls as she finally loosened her grip on Dimitri.

I turned to see Belikov and Daisy following us as we approached the gates, the wolf turning its head every so often in the direction the Vikings had retreated. It was as if she was watching our backs in case they decided to come back.

Once we crossed the threshold of the gates I nudged Lissa ahead, "You go on without me. I'll meet up with you soon."

She agreed without arguments and quickly walked straight towards the Dragomir Castle. When she was out of earshot I turned my attention to Belikov.

"What were you doing out there?" I hadn't meant it to sound so accusatory, but I was still a little amped up from the events that had just taken place.

"I should ask you the same thing," he fired back.

"We were well within the wards," I defended as I gestured towards the treeline. "And Vikings don't normally come out this far. It was very...unusual."

"Yes, they said as much."

"You speak their language," it was a statement more than a question.

"I told you we fought beside them in Kievan Rus," he said matter-of-factly. I nodded even though I hadn't considered that they would have actually conversed with them as well. It was strange to picture them doing anything other than screaming ferociously in the line of battle.

"So, what did they say?"

Dimitri looked back towards the now distant stream as he spoke. "They were hunting Døkkálfar, Dark Elves. It's what they call Strigoi. They saw you and Vasilisa laughing and when they caught sight of her fangs they believed her to be one of them. Apparently, their camp was attacked last night and they lost three of their men and five of their women."

My eyes widened as I considered the news that there had been Strigoi attacks nearby. It had been some time since any were spotted in the area and Vikings were not an easy adversary. The fact they had managed to take out so many was troubling. I would have to make sure extra guards were posted over the next several nights and possibly assemble a team to reinspect the wards. "What did you say to make them leave," I finally asked.

"I assured them that the Princess was not evil, but told them it wasn't safe in these parts at night."

"And they believed you, just like that?" I eyed him speculatively as he reached into his pocket and pulled out another silver coin, tossing it into my hands. I examined it, noticing strange markings on it that weren't native to these lands.

"It's a Rus coin. Many of the Northmen knew of our country and even had family that settled there. They trust our word."

I looked back up to Belikov and handed him the coin as I said, "Nice trick."

He reached down to take it from me, but his eyes widened as they landed on my hand. "You're injured."

I looked over my hand, not seeing anything wrong with it. "Huh?"

"Your arm," Dimitri pulled my wrist towards him and pushed up my sleeve, revealing a splash of red coating the inside of my forearm. I hadn't even realized I had been cut, but could now feel a slight sting as the cool night air blew over it.

"I guess he got me when I knocked him down," I wondered to myself as I slipped my arm out of Belikov's grasp. "It's nothing. It'll be fine."

Dimitri reached for my other arm and tugged me in his direction. "Come on. I have some supplies to clean this up."

I resisted his pull and dug my feet into the ground. "I said it's fine. I don't need—"

"Can you stop being so stubborn for one goddamn minute and let me help you?" I defiantly locked his gaze, ready to tell him off but quickly realized that would only prove his point. I knew I was stubborn, hell everyone did, but I wasn't ready to let him think he knew so much about me—even when it was something so minor.

"Fine," I conceded. "But I'm perfectly capable of making my own way without you guiding me like some invalid."

Belikov rolled his eyes and dropped my arm as he began walking towards outskirts of camp. I wasn't sure why he insisted on being posted up so far from the others, but was slightly glad for it now, seeing how I didn't want any of my men asking questions about where I had gotten the cut. Daisy sauntered up beside us and made a few circles around us before skipping ahead to Dimitri's tent. When we arrived I sat down on a tree stump outside as he walked in to grab his supplies. A moment later he returned and kneeled down in front of me. He began rolling up my sleeve and wiping away the excess blood with a damp cloth. My skin suddenly felt hot under his hands and I wondered if it was from the loss of blood.

I moved my focus up to the sky to distract myself as he tended to the jagged wound. It was a clear night, the moon hanging high in the sky. Although it wasn't full, it was nearly as bright as the sun, it's white light illuminating our surroundings. I rarely paid that much attention to the moon since I was usually left feeling resentful towards it for stealing the sun away, but tonight it was rather captivating. I tried to remember the shape Eric used to describe it as on these kinds of nights. _A crescent_.

"Hmm," Dimitri's focus rose and I realized I had accidentally spoken my thought out loud.

"The moon," I clarified. "The darkness behind it. It's like a crescent."

He looked upwards, gazing at the bright hook shape in the sky before looking back down to my arm. The stubble on his chin briefly caught my attention and I wondered if he would shave it again or let it grow out. "My Yeva used to say the dark side of the moon houses all the secrets of the world." A small smile began to inch up his face as he wrapped the bandage around my arm.

"What's a Yeva," my brows furrowed in confusion at the unfamiliar term.

Dimitri let out a low chuckle. "It is the name of my grandmother. She is very wise." When most people spoke such things of their elders they usually held pride in their words but for some reason, that last statement seemed to house some annoyance or even resentment.

Not wanting to press him on his weird family issues I looked back up to the moon and let that concept rattle through me. _Houses the secrets of the world_. I began to wonder what secrets it would be housing tonight.

A piece of Dimitri's loose hair brushed my arm, its softness bringing my attention back to him. The light dancing off his brown strands gave it an almost mesmerizing shine. _If I reached down and brushed his hair back into place, would the moon keep that secret as well?_

He tugged the bandage to tighten it in place and I let out an uncontrollable wince. He looked slightly apologetic, but I was grateful for the pain. It was like a cold bucket of water splashed across my face, snapping me out of whatever strange thoughts my mind had wandered to. Wanting to distract myself again I blurted out something to get a new conversation started.

"You didn't answer my question before. What were you doing down by the stream?"

Belikov tucked the last of the cloth under itself and gently pulled my sleeve down over it. He leaned back onto his heels and let out a small sigh as his hands ran through that infuriatingly silky hair. "I was looking for you. To apologize."

I attempted to raise an eyebrow at him but knew I wasn't nearly as skilled at it as he was. It caused an amused breath to puff out of him as he moved to sit on the grass with his long legs sprawled out in front of him. "I didn't mean to snap at you earlier. You were right. I was the one who wanted us to get to know each other better and I shouldn't have reacted like that. It's just...a touchy subject."

I could see his hand start to move towards the spot above his eye, but he corrected himself and moved it to scratch the back of his neck instead.

"I'm sorry too," I said as I fidgeted with a loose thread from my tunic. "I knew it would most likely provoke you and asked anyway. Like I said, I've seen you brush over it from time to time. As if it's a holster for some of your memories." His face shot up from the ground, a somewhat stunned look pointed directly at me. I could only assume he was shocked to hear that I would stoop so low as to purposely bring up something troubling to him just to get a rise. It was a nasty thing to do, and I still felt like shit for it.

"I guess, in a way...it does," he softly said as he pulled one of his legs up and rested an arm over it. And then I realized his surprise wasn't stemmed from me doing something intentionally hurtful, it was the fact I had been able to decipher a small part of his mystery.

"It happened during the Mongolian invasions," his voice was quiet, his focus fixed in the distance at nothing in particular. It was similar to the look I had seen him wear in church; his body was here but his mind was in the past. "The Varangian Guard was called in to stop the assault, but we had no idea what we would be walking into. It was a massacre. They had already wiped out the majority of the forces by the time we had arrived, but we pushed forward nonetheless. We managed to hold them off long enough for the troops to regroup, but when night fell we realized it had all just been one giant ruse for their real plan of attack." His hands fisted in the plush grass and his teeth gritted together as he paused. He started to say something more than once before stopping again, but in the end, decided against it. Eventually, he just said, "My best friend died that day. Ivan. He was a Moroi within my charge, but I left him to fight in the battle. I thought I would be serving the greater good by joining the ranks and he agreed. But in the end, it was all for nothing."

Suddenly an image of Lissa flooded my mind. Her jade eyes were staring at me, unmoving, as droplets of blood trickled down her beautiful face. I shook my head, ridding it of the gruesome image and refocused back on the present. "I'm so sorry, Dimitri."

I wished there was more I could say, something to express my condolences to him, but I had never been that great with words. Daisy appeared at Dimitri's side, sensing his unrest, and nudged his arm with her white and gray speckled nose. He landed a hand on top of her head and gave it a good shake before wiping the other over his face as if to wake himself up. "Yeah well there's no point in drowning in the past," the words were bitter coming off his tongue and I wondered if it was something that someone else had tried to instill in him.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer, your arm should be fine to go." I looked down at my arm and rubbed the neatly bandage job he had done. "Besides, don't you have somewhere to be?" My face shot up to the sky and I realized he was right. I had completely lost track of time and was more than late for meeting Lissa and Victor.

"Shit!" I hopped off the tree stump as Dimitri rose beside me. "Sorry, I gotta run."

"See you later," he turned to his tent and waved over his shoulder. I began walking away when I heard him call out to me again. "Oh, and Marshall."

I whipped around, my hair smacking me in the face in the process. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for calling me Dimitri," he gave me a speck of that cocky smirk, but instead of letting it annoy me I returned it with an equally mischievous grin.

"See you for demonstrations tomorrow, Coimheach." I gave him a small wave and raced to through the campgrounds to the castle. Victor was going to kill me.

* * *

 **A/N:** Anyone out there watching Vikings? I recently started and some of these guys were inspired by characters on the show. Idk why, but Dimitri speaking Old Norse with the Vikings is really attractive to me XD. Creating that dialogue was a _huge_ bitch. There are some dictionaries of the language out there, but they aren't very extensive so I had to improvise on things they could have said, making their convo come out a little elementary. Served its purpose though!

Dimitri also reveals a little bit more about his past here, but more details on Ivan will eventually come out later.

Hoped y'all liked the chapter. Happy Halloween!

 **Bonus Track - U Got it Bad by Lykke Li - Lissa's best friend senses are tingling! hehe**

Translations:

"Stǫðva! Fara frá!" "Stop! Back off, back away!"

"Døkkálfar! Hata að Døkkálfar." "Dark Elves. Destroy Dark Elves."

"Nei, né Døkkálfar. Hægr þjóð. Skap-góðr" "No, not Dark Elves. Gentle people. Good-tempered."

"Ganga af. Nátt, skóg-land hœttr. Ganga af." "Go from here. Night, forest dangerous. Leave."

"Taka góðvili." "Accept goodwill."


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 1 Chapter 9**

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: It's Hard to Get Around the Wind by Alex Turner, What's in My Head by Fuzz**

"See you for demonstrations tomorrow, Coimheach." Her wild hair seemed to roll through the air as the wind cascaded along her dark waves. It appeared to have a mind of its own much of the time, but as I watched her jog away I felt somewhat entranced by it as the moonlight danced across those deep brown strands.

I had finally become curious enough to ask what that term meant that she had deemed me as on more than one occasion. I discovered from a local troop member that it was often used to describe a stranger or foreigner—not all that clever if you really thought about it. Normally, she used it as a derogatory comment or an insult that admittedly stung a little, but tonight there was a hint of playfulness behind it that I hadn't heard before. Seeing that small, devilish grin that accompanied it made me think that maybe I didn't mind it so much anymore.

I turned back towards my tent to see Daisy staring at me with that curious tilt to her head. "Oh, and what are you on about?" She let out a disgruntled huff and plopped down into a seated position.

The first few times her and the Marshall interacted were nothing short of aversion, understandably, but today it was as if a switch had flipped. She was normally protective of me and my family members, but I had never seen her so quick to jump in defensively for someone we barely knew. It was especially strange that she would act that way towards Viking nomads since she had grown up around them the majority of her life, but after seeing them come at Rose aggressively, she shot to Rose's side and bared her teeth to ward them off. It didn't escape my notice how she circled us on the way back to camp as well, always keeping one eye on the other end of the valley.

And now as she sat at the edge of my tent, she seemed almost disappointed to see Rose go. Her large snout turned up at me accusingly and she let out another snort as her paw scratched the soft earth. "Well, I didn't make her leave," I defended.

She stared at me for one more lingering moment before turning her back away and sauntering off, her tail swishing behind her arrogantly. I shook my head, unsure what had gotten her in such a mood and began strolling towards the center of camp. It was almost past dinner time, but there were most likely some scraps remaining that I could snag—not that I had much of an appetite tonight.

It had been ages since I'd spoken about Ivan and even saying his name out loud felt like needles jabbing into my tightening throat. I had only meant to apologize to Rose for snapping at her earlier, but sometimes it felt so easy to talk to her—that's to say when she wasn't throwing a dagger at my face or slamming my back into the ground. I hadn't given her the full details on the events of that gruesome day, but it was still more than I had really told anyone outside of my family. I guess after seeing a brief moment of her vulnerable side the other day in the woods, I felt like I could open up to her a little without judgment or accusation; seeing how I had plenty of that to go around within myself.

When I got to the center of camp I grabbed a couple pieces of bread and an apple before plopping down in front of one of the fires. Most of the men were starting to clear out and head back to their own quarters and I welcomed the time alone. I stared at my meager meal in my lap, trying to summon up the appetite to eat until the sounds of footsteps approaching my side brought my attention up.

"Mind if I sit?" Ashford's hand motioned to the empty space on the tree trunk beside me and I gave him a nod in invitation. His lanky legs folded beneath him as he crouched down, and seeing how there were plenty of other seats in the area I could only assume he wanted to discuss something with me.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your meal Guardian Belikov, but I wanted to stop by and see how things were going."

I wasn't entirely sure what his question was referring to, so I just decided to answer with, "Fine."

He peered at me for a moment, looking like he wasn't satisfied with my answer, so I took a bite of bread to prevent myself from having to speak further under the pretense of my mouth being full.

"It's just that," he started before moving to lean his elbows on his knees and clasp his hands in between them, "over the past week I've, _we've_ , noticed some improvements in you. Not strictly speaking to your combat skills, but you've seemed to be settling in a little more. But today, I couldn't help but see that earlier reluctance return and I was wondering if something happened during your training this morning."

My eyes narrowed as I turned to face him. Although his tone was perfectly polite and didn't seem to house some ulterior motive, I couldn't quite understand why he would be concerned about me. I was just a single recruit in this entire camp of Dhampir.

"I don't mean to pry. But Rose, Marshall Hathaway," he corrected, "has become particularly invested in you. She tends to hold herself accountable for all of us, especially the new recruits, but you've piqued her interest. She believes in you, Belikov, and it would be a shame to disappoint her."

And it was then I realized it was Rose he was concerned about, not me. I studied him as he spoke, his freckled face lighting up every time he mentioned her name. "We all know that Hathaway can eat the head off ya' sometimes, but she means well. Rose is just really passionate when it comes to certain things—well all things really." I couldn't help but let out a small snort at his comment, thinking about the times she had lost her rather short temper around me.

"Thank you for your concern, Guardian Ashford. I can assure you it was just an off day." I didn't feel the need to explain myself further to him. Although Rose admitted to purposedly questioning my scar to stir up some feelings within me, I highly doubted she knew what the extent of that would be; which is why I had decided to seek her out. It was strange, really, but as soon as we had parted ways this afternoon I felt this overwhelming need to make things right between us. If it had been anyone else asking me invading questions like that, I would have had half a mind to pummel them into the dirt. But with Rose, I somehow managed to creep past a portion of that wall I built up to hide my secrets behind and actually wanted to open up to her a little more.

Maybe it was the fact that she had also experienced this type of loss and could somehow relate. I had been harboring this pain for so long that it now became as easy to spot it in another as it was their age or eye color. I knew Rose still mourned the death of her family, but somehow it almost seemed to make her stronger rather than weaker. It was beyond admirable and was something I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to achieve.

Sensing that I wasn't planning on conversing on the matter anymore, Mason unclasped his hands and slapped them against his knees. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. Would hate to see a hatchet slip during tomorrow's practice and wind up in your leg instead. Pissing off the Marshall has its consequences," he said as he rose to his feet.

"You really think she'd do that," I asked, knowing full well she wouldn't risk seriously injuring a troop member over a minor squabble.

"Who said anything about her," Mason's eyes darkened as he hovered above me, his hand slipping to the small axe holstered to his side. I held his gaze, trying to decipher if he was joking or not. As he straightened up his carefree smile returned and my body shot forward with a hard smack on the back from him. "Catch you around, Belikov."

I stayed on the log just long enough for him to move out of sight and tossed my leftovers into the fire, no longer feeling the need to put up a front. As much as I tried to distract myself with anything else, my thoughts kept going back to that day in Kievan Rus and I was left with the overbearing need to escape them. Even if only for a short while.

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Legendary by POWERS, A Change is Gonna Come by Greta Van Fleet, Gimme All Your Love by Alabama Shakes**

My feet skidded to a halt as I finally made it to the main hall. I attempted to brush my hair from my damp face, but some pieces were stuck in place. I did my best to dust off any remaining dirt on my clothes before pushing through the double wooden doors.

"Sorry I'm late. I—" Two arms tightly wrapped around me, forcing the air out of my lungs and preventing any other words to come out other than, "Umph."

I caught sight of light brown curls bouncing against my cheek and a high pitched voice squealed, "Rose, Rose, Rose! I've missed you so much!"

I tried to take a breath but was trapped in her gripping hold. "Natalie...you're..squishing me," I squeezed out.

"Ha! Oh, Rose ever the drama queen. She can go off and fight Vikings and Strigoi, but show her a little affection and she's suffocating. Ew. Why are you so sweaty." I wasn't sure how she managed to get so much out in just one breath, but it was entertaining nonetheless. I placed my hands on her shoulders and pulled her against me again, rubbing my sweat all over her. "I missed you too Cos."

"Ewww, Rose! Don't you ever bathe?" I pulled away and stuck my tongue out at her and we both giggled as we walked over to the fireplace. Victor was seated in his chair smiling at us with Lissa wiggling excitedly on top of some of the furs lining the floor. We plopped down next to her with Natalie in between and she pulled us in for one last group hug. "Uhhh you have no IDEA how much I've been in desperate need of some girl time. What's everyone been up to? Give me the full dish."

Lissa looked over to me nervously and I realized with all the good moods in the room, there was no way she had told them about the attack yet. It looked like it was up to me. I glanced up at Victor, then back down to the floor trying to think of a way around it before finally summing up the courage to get it out. "Well, now that you ask—"

"What Rose means to say is we're far more interested to hear what you've been up to Natalie," Lissa enthusiastically interrupted. "What were the other courts like? Any hot gossip going around?"

That was all it took for Natalie to go into a full tailspin. Normally, I completely indulged in hearing her tellings of the outside world, but tonight I just couldn't get fully into it. Thoughts from the almost incident with the Vikings, then Dimitri's melancholy retelling kept inching their way in, distracting me from Natalie's grandiose tales. Luckily, Lissa was still fully enthralled.

I watched them interact, admiring my two friends. They were so alike in many ways, regal, beautiful, charming, but also completely different in others. Where Natalie was outgoing and overly-confident at times to the point it almost came across as showboating, Lissa was much more reserved in her ways and was only truly open with people she completely trusted. Natalie's green eyes lit up as she talked about all the people she met, their various and glamorous traditions, and the immaculate castles all having their own unique identity. However, as she began mentioning one of our neighboring Kingdoms to the North, Inferion, her voice became slightly softer and I could see Victor straightening up in his seat.

"The Ozera's were a very interesting family as well," she peered over at Victor out of the corner of her eye. "And Lord Christian is of the same age as us and is quite handsome."

"Handsome? Since when do you call a guy handsome instead of studly, dreamy, or dripping wet hot," I asked speculatively.

Natalie wiggled her eyebrows and gave me a quick smirk as she said, "As much as I love a certain type of man, this one is different." She turned to Lissa and spoke with more sincerity. "He's very kind, polite, and brave.."

"Brave," we both asked. It wasn't normally a term associated with Moroi. Regal, powerful, wise—yes. But brave?

"Yes. Many Moroi in his kingdom are fire users and engage in fighting alongside their Dhampir troops. His aunt, Natasha, is a badass warrior bitch! You'd love her Rose." Victor cleared his throat at Natalie's choice of language and she gave him an apologetic look. "After staying with them for a fortnight and having a chance to get to know Lord Ozera, Father extended an invitation for them to visit St. Vlad's."

It suddenly became very clear why she was describing him as carefully as she was. If he had earned an invitation to meet with us here, that could only mean one thing: a possible suitor.

"Oh," Lissa's face dropped to the floor.

"Natalie has told me what an exceptional man Lord Ozera has become and his kingdom has great respect for him and his aunt. It seemed only right to invite them to join us for a week or two."

"I see," Lissa politely responded.

"Lissa look at me," Natalie insisted, pulling my sister's gaze up to hers. "Father sent me to meet with these families for a reason. I've known you my entire life and would never agree to invite someone who you would absolutely loathe. I swear to you, he is a good man and I think he may end up being a fair future match. I only want what's best for you...and our kingdom. You trust me, right?"

Lissa gave her a small smile and took Natalie's hand in hers. "Of course I do. You're one of my dearest friends. If he is even half the man you say he is, then I'm sure I will be pleased to meet him, cousin."

"And if you're not," Natalie leaned in and pressed their heads together as she peered over at me, "Then I'm sure Rose and I can find more than one way to scare him off." I let out a chuckle thinking about all the trouble we used to get into as kids and could guarantee the two of us could come up with the perfect way to scare off a spoiled Royal boy.

The remainder of the evening we went back and forth retelling old stories of some of our fondest memories and laughing at some of our not so finer moments, but that night my heart just wasn't in it. I felt like I was putting on a show to keep my two friends in good temperaments. I wondered if that's how it would eventually always be. A life full of pretending to be happy, when all I wanted to do was run.

I stole a glance at Victor to see his gaze already fixed on me. As always, he knew me well enough to guess what was going on inside me and the sad smile resting on his aging face was only proof of that. Now that Lissa was meeting possible matches to marry, that meant it was only a matter of time until I did as well, which could only mean that my dreams of being a great warrior and protecting my family with fierceness and steel would soon come to an end.

Eventually, Natalie grew weary from her travels and returned to her chambers to rest. Lissa and Victor shortly followed, leaving me alone with my thoughts. As I walked through the main halls I knew there was no way I could sleep now. My mind was a mess from the events earlier that evening, combined with the looming news that Natalie had brought with her. I decided I'd walk over to one of the Guardian posts and spread word about possible Strigoi in the area and instruct some of the men to inspect the wards in the morning. At this close to sunrise, we would be safe behind the walls, but one could never be too cautious.

Afterward, my feet took on a mind of their own and began to wander about the kingdom. I focused on the loose dirt crunching under my boots as I walked, trying to distract myself from everything else. I realized I had forgotten to mention the Vikings to Victor and made a mental note to do so the next day. When I finally looked up, I realized I had happened upon a local tavern. I had every intention of going back to the castle and trying to get some sleep, but the dim light seeping out of the stone structure drew me in. I walked inside, hoping to have the place to myself but as I turned to the bar I noticed another patron sitting there. His brown eyes shot over to me as the door swung shut, the small glass stilling in his hand.

Dimitri was sitting alone at the bar with a bottle of whiskey resting idly in front of him. He let out a dejected sigh and set his glass down. "Please don't start. I've had a rough day and was only—"

"Shut up and pour me a drink," I halted whatever he was about to say and pulled up a seat next to him at the slick wooden bar.

He shot me a curious look, but adhered to my demand without question and slid a fresh cup across the bar. As soon as it landed against my palm I shot it up to my mouth and downed the drink in one swift gulp. I let out a short hiss to alleviate the burning sensation rolling across my tongue and down my throat. After a moment, my taste buds were back to normal but my thoughts were still running wild. So I grabbed the bottle and poured another.

As I raised the glass up, I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Belikov intently watching me. I lowered my cup and turned to face him. "Well, are you going to have a drink with me or are you just going to sit there all night like a feckin' scut?"

Dimitri reached for the whiskey, pouring the dark, amber liquid into his glass. "Someone's in a mood," he quietly said as he brought the cup to his lips.

I scoffed at that little comment. "You're one to talk."

We simultaneously downed our drinks, the spiced fluid burning slightly less this time. We sat there quietly for a few moments, neither of us knowing what to say to the other until I finally couldn't take the awkward silence anymore. "What kind of grown man names an enormous wolf Daisy? Was Butch taken or something?"

I latched onto the half-empty bottle and refilled our glasses. "I didn't name her. My sister, Viktoria, did."

"You have a sister?" I drank down a portion of the contents of my cup.

"Three actually," he said matter-of-factly. "Being the only male in the family left me outnumbered on many occasions, including naming the wolf pup we rescued." That comment had me wondering about Dimitri's father, or rather the apparent absence of him, but before I could needle in another question, Belikov added, "Besides, Rose, you of all people should know that a name doesn't always accurately represent its host. Although you can be rather thorny when you want to be."

"Ha ha," I sarcastically sniggered.

I took another couple of sips until my glass was empty again, the warm buzz that complimented the liquor finally starting to rear its head. "So you've basically been surrounded by women your entire life," I asked, thinking about this Galina woman that had trained him as well.

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing." Dimitri raised an eyebrow and cast me a sidelong glance as he gulped down his drink. My eyes moved to his throat, watching his Adam's Apple bob as the thick liquid slid down.

"No. Not bad. Just...surprising." I moved my hand towards the bottle again, but before I could grasp it Dimitri's long fingers wrapped around it and tilted its contents into our glasses.

"How long have you known Guardian Ashford," he asked with his eyes focused on the two cups as he poured.

"Pretty much my entire life."

"He seems to care about you a great deal." _What?_ _Where the hell was this coming from?_

"He's been one of my best friend's since we were kids," I defended as I slid one of the cups closer.

"And have the two of you ever been _more_ than just friends?"

I whipped my head over to Belikov to see him smugly waiting for an answer. "Why do you care?"

"I don't. Just curious that's all," he turned in his stool and rested his arm on the bar as the other moved to his knee with his glass in hand. "I've seen the way he looks at you."

 _Presumptuous bastard_. He'd known us all of two weeks and already he was making assumptions about things he hadn't the slightest clue. "Not that it's any of your business, but no. Like I said, we're friends." I took a sip of my drink, my cheeks warming up under its influence and the weird turn the nosey foreigner's line of questioning had gone down.

"And what about you? Why don't you have a girl spending time with you here tonight?"

"I do," he gestured towards me with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and turned in my seat to face him. "You know what I mean. You could have any maiden of your choice. Why don't you just go out and grab one to keep you company instead of sitting alone at the bar?"

"Are you trying to tell me you think I'm attractive," Dimitri leaned in seductively.

"Are you trying to get bitch-slapped?" I put an overly amount of gusto into my voice, despite the strange fluttering sensation his close proximity was causing within me.

He let out a small laugh and moved away to toss his drink back. "Maybe I don't want a maiden."

"Oh I see," I playfully drawled. "Why didn't you say something before. If it's the men you are interested in, then I can point out a few buggering fellas that would be more than willing to satisfy an arse bandit."

He shook his head and placed his empty cup on the bar. "What a generous offer, Marshall Hathaway. But I think I can manage."

"We'll see about that, Belikov." I reached over to the bottle now placed in front of him, my arm brushing against his in the process. I noticed his eyes flick down to that small point of contact as I began to pull the drink away.

His focus quickly aligned and he reached for the bottle once again, but I deftly slid it along the bar beside me before he could get the chance. "Excuse me Guardian Belikov, but I am perfectly capable of pouring my own drinks."

Dimitri's body inched forward, trying to reach the bottle as he spoke in a low voice. "Yes, I know. But I grew up learning that a lady should want for nothing."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed I'm not some maiden who prances around waiting for men to dote on her." My head was starting to spin and my breaths were becoming shallow. _I guess Old John sprung for the good stuff_.

"Like I said," his raspy words fluttered my hair against my neck. "I don't want a maiden."

If we moved any closer I was likely to punch him or kiss him. My hand and jaw twitched, trying to decide which I should do. My mind was blank, so I had to trust my body to make the right choice but then, Dimitri made the decision for me. His lips pressed to mine before I even knew what was happening. My initial reaction was to pull away, but the feel of his mouth against me sent bolts of lightning across my cheeks, drawing me further into the rising storm. One of his hands snaked across my thigh as his tongue brushed against my bottom lip, eliciting a small gasp to seep into me.

That puff of air against his skin caused him to sharply pull away. I opened my eyes to see his deep brown ones darting around with confusion. "I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me," he breathlessly spoke, still mere inches from me.

"It must be the whiskey," I gripped the bar as I tried to reason, although every part of me was just as disoriented as he appeared to be.

Those molten eyes shot up to finally meet mine, the bemusement washing away leaving behind a burning hunger instead. "No. That's not it." Dimitri took a deep inhale as if he was drinking me in before his mouth crashed into mine again.

I wrapped an arm around the back of his neck in response and sank my tongue into his inviting mouth. The taste of whiskey and Dimitri sent waves of heat through me as I rolled my tongue against his. Those strong hands gripped my thighs and pulled me into his lap, making me feel light as air as a buried moan reverberated off his chest. His lips moved across my jaw and down to my neck as his rough fingers found their way up to my hair, tangling themselves in my loose curls. I pressed every part of me against him and gripped the back of his head to pull his mouth back up to mine.

Dimitri trapped my bottom lip between his teeth and sucked on it vigorously, causing my legs to tighten around his waist. He released my lip only long enough to entangle his tongue with mine. I clutched onto his chest and rocked against him as he devoured me. I thought I might pass out from the lack of breathing, but was too lost in the feel of him to break away. The silkiness of his loose hair brushing my cheek, the tightness of his biceps wrapped around my waist, the hardening bulge quickly growing beneath me...

Suddenly, a slam across the room jolted my head up. I looked behind Dimitri to see a fallen stool laying on the ground and finally realizing what the hell I was doing I jumped off his lap. _What the fuck is wrong with me?!_ I had just been kissing Dimitri Belikov. A man that annoyed me to no end. A man I practically hated. Didn't I?

I ran my hands down my clothes trying to straighten them out as he looked around to where the noise had come from. When his focus came back to mine he stood from his perch and reached for me again. My hand immediately shot up to his cheek sending his face sharply to the left, a cracking sound echoing throughout the empty room. Dimitri slowly turned towards me, his jaw hanging open with an expression somewhere between shock and amusement holstered in place.

That small hint of a smile awoke a flare of fury within me and before he could get the chance to mock me, I turned on my heel and marched out of the tavern.

* * *

 **A/N:** ROMITRI! I've been excited for this chapter for a while hehe. And not just because of certain _activities_ but also because I loved creating their banter in the tavern. Dickitri is in full force. In addition, we got to see another new face in this chapter, the elusive (and chatty as always) Natalie! Although she'll maintain some of her quirkier traits, she's also going to be pretty OOC in this story. And how about protective Mason? Gotta love that ginger bro :)

Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**Ch. 10**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Ride this Out by Imaginary Cities**

The realization of what I had gotten myself into last night was enough to clear away any of the haze brought on by the whiskey, sobering me up faster than falling into a frozen pond. Which is why I was surprised by the sickening feeling overcoming me the next day. It must have been some kind of emotional hangover rather than physical. I guess that's what I deserved for acting like a complete idiot—not to mention desperate hussy.

I had sent one of the castle Guardians over to camp to let Belikov know he could sleep in as I would not be at one-on-one training this morning. I could get by a few hours under the pretense that something else came up, but I wouldn't be able to hide from him, or my responsibilities, forever. After talking to Victor about the almost Viking attack, which had been only mildly unpleasant thanks to my quick action with the extra guards, I stopped by Lissa's room and had her pull my hair up in tight braids and wore some of my more up-to-date training gear. I wanted to look as professional as possible and leave little room for Belikov to scrutinize. Although, judging by his past behavior I highly doubted anything short of a bludgeon to the head would keep him from relishing in his conquest.

"'I grew up learning that a lady should want for nothing,'" I muttered under my breath in my best attempt at a Rus accent. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to fall for a line like that."

A nauseous feeling rolled over me and my palms started to sweat as I made my way to camp, imagining the whispers and taunting that would await me. _Stupid, stupid, stupid Rose._

I looked up from the dirt I had been kicking along the way and decided I wasn't going to let this little incident bring me down. If they were going to mock me for it, then so be it. I'd take it with my head held high...or with my fists against their smug faces. I strolled over to one of the sparring rings where a select group I had instructed Eddie and Mason to gather was waiting. I decided to test the new moves we'd been practicing on a few of the troop members to start off with, then allow them to perfect and teach the skills they'd learned to the other recruits during their own training times.

I stopped at the center of the ring with my hands on my hips and a defiant look in place, ready to take on whatever they dealt out. "Hey, Rose," Eddie greeted. I looked over the men scattered about, gauging their reactions to my entrance but so far no one seemed all that concerned with me. A couple gave me a friendly nod and others just continued their casual conversations as they waited for training to begin. "What's with the look," Eddie asked as he walked up beside me. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were about to go on a murderous rampage. Did Natalie sneak into the cupboards and steal your stash of sweets again?"

"No," I curtly replied, still inspecting for any hints of ridicule in the men.

"Hmm too bad. You should probably lay off them anyways. Wouldn't want to get too fat for your armor," he teased as he nudged my side.

"Oh, sod off Eddie." I huffed, letting my hostile demeanor slip away...for now.

My friend let out a small chuckle, all too pleased with his little joke, before giving my shoulders a shake. "Well, we're all ready for you. The men are curious to see what you've got planned for us."

"Uh, huh," I replied distractedly as my eyes roamed for one particular Dhampir. "Where's Belikov?"

"Here, Marshall." All the blood from my face completely drained and flew to heat my chest like a blazing campfire as that accent called out behind me. I swallowed, trying to keep my eyes from bulging out of my head, and remained still as I tried to sum up the courage to turn around.

 _Stop being a fucking coward Hathaway! He's just a man._

 _A big, dumb, arrogant man…_

 _with soft eyes…_

 _and chiseled arms...and, FUCK!_

"Rose?" My eyes snapped up from the ground to see Eddie standing there looking at me curiously.

"Hmm? What," I stammered, my flustered state becoming more apparent.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to—"

"It's fine," my voice came out louder than I had intended, cutting off whatever Belikov was about to say and earning an eyebrow lift from him and Eddie.

 _Pull yourself together, dammit!_

I took a sharp inhale to calm my nerves. "Don't worry about it," I said as I turned slightly towards Dimitri. "Let's get started." He gave me a quick nod and jogged over to join the ranks.

I didn't know what to make of the situation. He stood at attention with his hands behind his back wearing an expression that said he was ready for business. Not even a cheeky wink, or a cocksure smirk to hint that he was thinking about what had happened between us the previous night.

Maybe he'd had more to drink than I realized. He was there before me, he could've had another bottle to himself for all I knew. The thought that he may not have remembered brought on a settling feeling and gave me enough confidence to proceed with the task at hand.

I briefed the troops on the purpose of this exercise and how it would be advantageous for us to learn these techniques. I left out the part about Dimitri's familiarity with the Vikings since we hadn't discussed whether or not he wanted that to be public knowledge. His demeanor remained serious and he kept his gaze straight ahead, as I pointedly tried to avoid looking at him.

At one point I saw his eyes dart to Mason as my friend traced the tip of his hatchet, but Dimitri's focus quickly snapped up front again without any change in his expression. The interaction struck me as a little odd, but I didn't dwell on it since I had bigger problems right now. Like trying to figure out how I was going to fight him when I could barely even look at him. I just continued to hold onto the notion that he was too drunk to remember anything and eventually called him up front to start the demonstration.

The men took a few steps back to give us some space as Dimitri walked towards me. I looked down at my belt to unfasten it as I said, "Let's start with that cross combo and segue into the rollaway counter attacks."

"Whatever you say, boss," I detected a bit of irritation in his tone but didn't look up at him until his back was turned. I tossed my sheath off to the side as he took a few steps away and pointed my gaze directly in the middle of his chest while we positioned for attack.

"You ready?" I'm not sure why I felt the need to announce my strike. We had been fighting together for a while now and he was well aware of which maneuver I'd be starting with, but I waited for his answer nonetheless.

"Always." There was a husky note to his voice that made my heart leap, and I couldn't help but read into the loaded meaning behind that response.

Without another word, I shot my fist directly at his shoulder. He blocked before I made contact and we rapidly went through the movements of the combination until he was declared "dead". I removed my hands from their position on his back so fast one might suspect he was made of hot coals.

I took several large steps away from him as I turned to the troops, "Okay, questions?"

A couple of them asked for some clarifications and I tried to maintain concentration on my responses, all the while feeling Dimitri's stare burning a hole in the back of my head. "Alright, next we'll show you some offensive maneuvers against a tackle."

Strigoi were known for relying on their superior strength and that combined with Viking fighting skills was a deadly combination. Letting them get the upper hand was the quickest way to lose your life, so surprising them with an attack when they thought you were down could be the ultimate factor that would save you.

I moved back to my place in the ring, my eyes still looking anywhere but Dimitri's face. His chest made an obvious heaving movement before an aggravated sigh whooshed through the space between us.

"Let's go," I commanded while gesturing him forward with my fingertips. His right foot pressed forward signaling that his fist would soon follow. I ducked below it expecting him to go high, however, his next move caught me off guard. I was supposed to go for an easy sweep, but he reversed our roles and threw me off balance. I latched onto his arm to keep myself up and knocked his ankles out from under him before he could correct his stance. His arm hooked around me as he fell, sending me down with him. I toppled on top of him, awkwardly straddling his waist, but managed to sit up and launch my fists into his torso, announcing his defeat.

I pushed down with my knuckles to propel myself off his chest now that the fight was over, but before I could go anywhere his hands shot up to grip my wrists. "You know eventually you're going to have to look at me," he said lowly, his fingers tightening their hold. "Given our current position, it would be rude not to."

Although he wasn't wrong, that all too familiar presumptuous tone laced his words and a sinking feeling dropped to the pit of my stomach. My eyes darted up to his, hoping I had misinterpreted his ulterior meaning. But what I found only increased my uneasiness.

"That wasn't so hard, was it," he baited, a hint of that wolfish grin finally rearing its head.

Well, that answered that question. There was no way he had forgotten about our kiss—and then some.

If I let him see even a spec of embarrassment, I knew he would use it against me. So instead, I fired back with a taste of his own medicine. "Now that you mention it," I said as I looked down between his legs. "No. It wasn't really."

I knocked his hands off of mine and pushed him further into the ground as I moved away from him. I heard a small chuckle from the ground and I groaned realizing I had probably only managed to incite more of his teasing rather than deter it.

I called two of the other men up front to try out the techniques, and hopefully get some space between me and Belikov, but it turned out I wouldn't be so lucky. I stood off to the side watching them spar intently and pointedly ignored the tall Dhampir approaching my side.

"Listen, this demonstration would probably be a lot more successful if we just cleared the air," he whispered over my shoulder. "Last night, I—"

"That topic is not up for discussion," I curtly cut him off before calling out some adjustments to the two men in the ring. I crossed my arms over my chest and took a step away from him as the Dhampir duo started again.

"But Rose," Dimitri's hand found its way to my shoulder and that familiar heat rushed up the back of my neck.

"No," I whipped around to look him directly in the face, shrugging his hand off in the process. "We are not talking about this now, or ever."

His eyes narrowed at me under my hardened stare. I held my gaze, refusing to back down, but couldn't help that rising warmth from spreading. I caught Dimitri's eyes flick to my quickly reddening cheeks and silently cursed my traitorous body. A knowing look smoothed out his brow as he said, "We'll see about that."

The practice continued on with Dimitri and me demonstrating short spurts of moves and then alternating volunteers to try them out on each other. It was starting to get late, signaling training was almost over, and I had successfully managed to keep my shit together. I asked for any last minute questions before we finished up and Baker, a newly appointed Dragomir Guardian, stepped forward. "Could you and Belikov go one full round and show us all the moves combined. It would be great if we could see them all in action during a real fight."

I glued my feet into the ground to stop myself from propelling towards that gobdaw and pummeling his stupid face. I had purposely avoided a longer sparring match with Belikov to keep our contact to a minimum. I was about to tell Baker it would have to wait until next time when Dimitri beat me to it. "Absolutely. I agree it would be beneficial to see all the moves in action. Don't you think so, Marshall?"

I was surrounded by eejits.

I looked over to Eddie, then Mason praying that there was someone here to give me an excuse out of it, but they were all wearing the same, stupid, excited grin as they waited for my response. _Goddammit_.

"Sure," I huffed under my breath, making my way to the ring. Some of the men cheered eagerly, but all I could focus on was Belikov's satisfied look. A million ways to wipe it from his face ran through my mind as he took position across from me.

"Ready," he called out in question, his self-assurance increasing by the second.

Without a response I launched for him, finally letting my frustration take hold. I swung and kicked harder than I normally would for a training match, but I wanted him to hurt. After a couple of my moves made contact—and by his various hisses and grunts, they obviously stung—he let out a low growl and slammed his full weight at me. I was no match for his reach and speed when he managed to combine them perfectly and he caught me in a gripping hold. With one arm wrapped around my chest and the other across my abdomen, he pressed my back up against his sculpted frame. I tried to wiggle out of his hold, but my arms were pinned to my sides.

Dimitri craned his head down so that it brushed against my ear. I thought he was going for the mock bite we used to signal a defeat by Strigoi, but instead, he discreetly whispered, "Don't get your trousers in a bunch. This was your idea, remember?"

"You're daft if you think even for a second that you have any effect on the state of my trousers," I bit out as I struggled against him. A low chuckle rumbled from his chest down my back, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. In a panic to get free from him, I shot my heel into his foot, his reaction giving me just enough room to break his hold. I hooked my leg around his to trip him up and tackled him to the ground before he could regain his balance. I hovered above him and lowered my voice to match his earlier volume, "So, I suggest you make this the last time you bring them up."

"Fair enough," Dimitri breathed out heavily, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Besides," he unexpectedly pulled me tighter against him rather than try to throw me off his torso and used our close proximity to flip us over. I scrambled to get away, but he snatched my arms and pinned me beneath him. "I'm more interested in what's underneath them."

I was well aware of each and every point where his body pressed against mine and instantly recognized that burning look he wore. That combined with the hunger in his voice brought images from the night before into the forefront of my mind and my limbs began to melt under his hold. My ragged breathing was becoming impossible to disguise and I felt like my heart was about to leap out of my chest. With the precarious position I was in, I did the only thing I could think to do...I shot my knee directly into his groin.

Belikov let out a battered howl and folded over as I shoved him off me. He rolled to the ground as his body instinctively curled up and I quickly rose to my feet and dusted myself off. I looked over to the men who were now all staring at me dumbfoundedly and brusquely called out, "Dismissed," before marching away.

It was a dirty move, even I knew that, but its effectiveness outshined any reservations I might have had about it. I managed to get several yards away from the training station when suddenly two strong hands wrapped around my arms and pinned me up against a nearby wall. My breath caught in surprise at how he had managed to sneak up on me so stealthily, but I stubbornly chalked it up to my distracted state.

"I don't remember going over that move in training." Belikov leaned his face forward but kept his body a good distance away, no doubt weary of my less than tactful maneuvers.

"Well, I'd be happy to show it to you again," I tilted my head and batted my lashes at him sweetly.

"I'd much rather you show me some of those moves from last night again." His brazen comment simultaneously ignited my anger and shot every one of my nerves on end. In an attempt to align my thoughts I latched onto that animosity and tried to think about anything other than how good he smelled.

"Back off Belikov!" I pushed out as much ferocity in that statement as I could, but it somehow fell flat.

"Come on, Rose. I know you want me," he moved a little closer, daring to approach me despite my earlier threats. "It was as clear last night as it is in your eyes now." His grip loosened on me, but I didn't attempt to move away. I felt glued in place under his hooded gaze. I latched my fingers onto the wall to keep my shaky knees steady.

 _What the hell is wrong with me? My knees don't go weak. I'm Rose Fucking Hathaway, dammit!_

His face inched towards mine, his jaw clenching with want, but I couldn't let him best me with his bewitching seduction. Not again. "Well, I guess congratulations are in order." Dimitri paused his movements, his brow scrunching in slight confusion. "You managed to catch me in a moment of weakness and have now gained the story you wanted to brag to your fellow companions."

He backed away, giving me room to finally breathe, as his hands came down to his side. "I wouldn't do that," he spoke seriously. "Is that really what you think of me?"

I inched to the side so that I was no longer in a position to be pinned by him. His disposition seemed genuine as I observed him, but I had seen so many sides of this man I couldn't be sure either way. He was most likely using it as a ploy to reel me back in and I refused to fall for it again.

"Look, just because I wanted you last night after a few drinks of whiskey doesn't mean I still do." After all the times he'd been dismissive of my authority, after all the times I'd seen him slack off and push aside his responsibilities, after all the times he'd flipped from one mood to the next. No. "Why would I," I solidified.

Dimitri's chest twitched as those three words leached out of my mouth, the force behind them physically pushing him away. I stared him down, waiting for some smartass response, or defensive comeback to fly out of his bruised ego, but instead of anger or pride...all I saw was hurt. It was only for an instant. I would've missed it if I blinked. But the strain building behind his eyes gave him away.

I'm not sure why I felt bad. After the embarrassment he had put me through and the cocky attitude he had been sporting, I should've been glad to have finally squashed his resolve. But that look sent a pang into my chest and the sudden urge to apologize crept up inside me. However, before I could say or do anything Dimitri threw that guarded veil up to shield anything else he might have been truly feeling and impassively replied, "I understand, Rose."

I moved off the wall to stop him, but my words caught in my throat as he turned around and stalked away, leaving me standing there feeling ashamed, confused, and somehow...empty.

* * *

 **A/N:** Flustered Rose is one of my fav versions of her to write. Especially since it's rare for things to unnerve her in that way. Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)

Btw I've stopped putting translations for Rose's colorful cursing and descriptions since I think most of the time it's relatively easy to tell what they mean, but if you're ever curious let me know and I'll be sure to send them to you.


	11. Chapter 11

**Part 1 Chapter 11**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Drifty by Sjowgren, Arizona by Kings of Leon**

A few years prior to becoming Marshall, I had tried to fit myself into a particular mold. Someone who was sensible, someone who didn't act rashly without thinking first—admittedly one of my more deprecating faults—someone who my family could have been proud of. It wasn't always easy, pushing aside my most primal instincts, but eventually, I had come to some sort of happy medium that I could be satisfied with.

Now, I wouldn't necessarily describe myself as a pragmatic person, although it's certainly something I strived to be, but I could at least trust in my gut. I relied on it from time to time when I was on the verge of lashing out or unsure of what move to make, and it usually seemed to steer me in the right course. However, now I had no idea what to trust in. My head, heart, and gut were all screaming at me, begging me to make a choice that followed the correct path. But each path seemed to lead to a dead end and the deafening cries were nowhere close to being answered. I wasn't sure how or why, but every decision I tended to make involving Belikov left me feeling more confused—whether I kissed him or kicked him.

I knew I had messed up, in more ways than one. I had crossed our professional boundaries by indulging him at the bar, I had acted like an immature child by ignoring him in the field and worst of all, I had hurt him. I'm not sure why my words seemed to sting, he didn't really appear to be the type that faltered so easily under a swift insult; nonetheless, it was eating me up inside. I had to find a way to mend my mistakes—all of them. The only trouble was I couldn't get my gut to give me a straight answer as to how.

I kicked the loose gravel on my way up to the castle with my head hung low. A slight shiver rolled through me as an unseasonably chilly breeze blew past. I wrapped my arms around my waist and considered asking Lissa for her advice, but was still too embarrassed by my actions from the previous night and that day to voice them aloud to anyone. No, this was my problem and I'd find a way to deal with it. I took in a sharp breath as I walked through the dimly lit halls, lifting my head a bit higher.

Victor had sent word that we would be eating in the formal dining hall that evening so I made my way through one of the passages to the grand hall. It didn't really get that much use these days but was still kept pristine in case an occasion called for it. The brassy candlelit chandeliers gave the tall gothic windows a glowing hue, bouncing light from one end of the stone room to the other. A fire had been lit, adding a splash of orange to contrast with the surrounding golden glow and created a comforting warmth.

Lissa and Natalie were already there waiting for me and greeted me excitedly as I walked in. Their welcoming embraces instantly soothed my mood and I decided since I had already spent one evening with them brooding, I would make more of an effort to push my troubling thoughts aside and enjoy their company. Now that we all had our individual responsibilities it was rare that we got to be together in this way, and if the future continued as planned it may be one of the few times we would.

After a few short pleasantries, we took our seats at the table, Victor sitting at the head with me between him and Natalie, and Lissa across the other side. The girls began chatting again when I noticed there was a fifth place set beside Lissa.

"Are we expecting another guest," I asked no one in particular.

Victor's lips moved to speak but quickly curved into a cordial smile as the doors to the dining hall opened again. One of the castle Guardians took a few steps into the room before announcing, "Lord Dashkov, your guest has arrived."

"Thank you, Dougal. Please send him in."

Not a moment later, Dimitri walked into the room.

The others rose from their seats to greet him and, lagging a second behind, I clumsily jumped up and joined them. His hair was neatly combed and tied back at the base of his neck, his face was cleanly shaven again, and he adorned the same cloak I had seen him wear the first night we met. In the light of the room, the cloak was more opulent than I remembered, and I still couldn't quite place that sleek material. His stoic gaze somehow complimented his polished attire and I couldn't help but admire this refined version of him.

Dimitri bent in an elegant bow as Victor received him. "Sir Belikov, thank you for taking the time to join us this evening. I do hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"Quite the opposite Lord Dashkov. I am honored to have received the invitation." He straightened back up and I caught the edges of a red emblem at the top of his tunic that I hadn't seen him adorn before.

I remained behind the group as Victor introduced Natalie and tried my best not to look like a total creep as I observed him. His expression slightly softened as he turned to Lissa and said, "Princess, it's lovely to see you again."

"You as well, Guardian Belikov," she politely replied, wearing a grin the size of the moon.

He had yet to acknowledge me and although it was well deserved, I suddenly felt out of place in my own home. Victor called us all back to the table and Dimitri took his seat beside Lissa. As we sat down Natalie leaned over and whispered into my ear, "Well, isn't he a tasty morsel."

I opted with ignoring her comment, and the eyebrow wiggle she flashed in his direction, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. Victor engaged Dimitri in conversation about how he was fitting in at St. Vlad's and I reached for my cup of wine in an attempt to do anything to keep myself occupied.

 _What's up with you?_

My focus darted up over my cup to see Lissa's jade eyes fixed on me, her voice still echoing in my head.

 _Why are you being so quiet?_

She didn't often use the bond to communicate with me since I put a lot of effort to stay out of her head and give her some sense of privacy, but every once in a while she would tap into it so she could indulge in a secret conversation. My brows furrowed and my shoulders shrugged as I set my cup back down, letting her know I was dismissing that comment.

 _Don't give me that. I can tell something's up. Did anything happen with you two?_

I looked up at her sharply feeling my face go white. Why did she always have to be so damn observant? My lips pursed and I subtly shook my head, begging her to drop it. She sat back in her seat, her face turning slightly pouty. Natalie began speaking with her father and I found my sights being pulled to Dimitri again. I was surprised to find that he was already looking directly at me, meeting my gaze for the first time that evening. There was a curious look on his brow, almost like he was studying me and I immediately felt self-conscious. I thought I saw his eyes flick between Lissa and me, but my attention was called away when Victor spoke my name.

"I'm sorry uncle, what was that," I asked distractedly.

He looked momentarily irritated that he was having to repeat himself on my account, but his tone remained light. "I was just saying that our dear Vasilisa provided me more details of your encounter with the Vikings. She mentioned how Dimitri assisted the two of you and I wanted to express my gratitude."

We all turned to Dimitri, awaiting his response. "It was nothing really, Lord Dashkov. I'm sure Marshall Hathaway could have handled herself if it came to a fight. I'm just glad it didn't reach that point."

I could feel Lissa's eyes dart over to me, no doubt thinking the same thing I was. We were outnumbered in manpower and weapons before Dimitri had arrived. Polite and humble were not terms I would normally associate with him, but here he was standing up for me when he had the opportunity to take the full credit.

"My thoughts exactly, Guardian Belikov," Victor continued. "I was impressed not only by your quick assistance but by _how_ you handled the situation. You see, it is one thing to use our warriors' superlative fighting skills against a threat and entirely another to use diplomacy."

It was a conversation Victor and I had many times in the past revolving other rising issues with nearby kingdoms. I could already sense where this was headed. I wished he had warned me that he was planning on broaching this subject, or the fact that Belikov was coming to dinner at all, but there wasn't really anything I could do about it presently. The only response out of Dimitri was a short nod so I turned my focus back to Victor, waiting for him to elaborate.

"As you may have noticed, we have several neighboring communities that are primarily human population. While our relationship isn't necessarily hostile, it is not as harmonious as we would like it to be," he took a pause to look at Lissa and me, acknowledging our shared concern. "Although the Sage King has agreed to keep the peace with us, his disdain for our kind has not gone unnoticed and I fear that even the smallest strain could cripple our fragile agreement."

Lissa turned in her seat as she illustrated Victor's meaning. "Our parents spent many years maintaining a peaceful relationship with the humans and assured them we meant no harm, but our need for blood and the small number of humans that flock to our village to assist with that need tends to make the King restless. He believes it to be sacrilegious and although the humans are free to come and go as they please, he's under the impression that we have enchanted or tricked them into staying."

"It's our understanding that you used to work closely with human communities, including the Vikings," Victor leaned forward, pressing his forearms into the table.

"Yes," Dimitri replied. "Novgorod was founded by Rus and Viking alike. Many knew of what we are and had peaceful relationships."

It was a strange concept to hear. I knew in the past humans and Moroi must have lived collectively, otherwise, Dhampir wouldn't exist, but I had only known two sides of them: the deep hatred for our "lack of souls", or the enraptured frequenters who offered their essence in exchange for the euphoric effects Moroi venom could provide. Picturing either of those types of people setting up shop in the village or sitting at camp with my troops just seemed...off.

However, Victor seemed pleased by this. "That's wonderful to hear. I have to admit, I had ulterior motives for inviting you here tonight. I was hoping we could convince you to help us gain a deeper understanding of how to better our relationship with the humans. If you would possibly consider joining us in a few meetings here and there to provide your insight from working with them directly in the past."

The room was quiet for a moment, the only sound coming from the crackling wood in the nearby fireplace. I knew Victor had wanted to try and convince Dimitri to reconsider his offer as High Constable and this was most likely the first step in doing so. Given that Dimitri remained expressionless across the table, I wondered if Victor had tried too soon.

"Of course, Lord Dashkov," he spoke an instant later that felt more like an hour. "I would be happy to serve this kingdom in any way I can."

His voice was as stiff as his shoulders. He exuded professionalism to a tee, but I could sense a bit of indifference.

"I appreciate your fealty but please know that this is a request, not an order," Victor calmly spoke. "I do hope you'll consider joining our next meeting, but the choice is ultimately yours. And please," he added with a warm smile, "call me Victor. No need for such formalities when we are with family and friends."

Dimitri's expression softened as his lips arched into a smile, a polite one, not one that reached his eyes.

Before the room could crack from awkward tension, some of the servants stepped in carrying platters of food.

"Ah, just in time," Victor called out.

"Surely Rose's stomach would've disturbed the entire castle soon if we waited much longer," Natalie added with a nudge to my side.

Laughter from Victor and the girls eased the tenseness of the room and I was grateful for Natalie's ability to alter it, even if it was at my expense.

As soon as the food hit the table I snagged enough to cover my entire plate. The girls began engaging Dimitri in pleasant conversations, steering away from any serious topics for the remainder of the evening. I proceeded to fill my mouth to the brink of combustion to avoid being pulled into the conversation, but every once in a while Natalie would still find a way to sneak in a comment or question between my massive bites. Admittedly, I was a little irritated at first that she refused to leave me be, but eventually I let her suck me in—in that way that she did—and joined in with her and Lissa until the room was filled with high pitched laughter and sputters of our drinks from the hilarious anecdotes she proceeded to tell.

For a while, I was so caught up in my enjoyment with my friends that I had almost forgotten Dimitri was even there. He remained relatively quiet, only speaking up when directly addressed, but every so often I could almost feel the weight of his gaze on me—watching me intently but distantly.

As the evening came to an end, Victor said his farewells and retired to his chambers. Dimitri rose from the table to excuse himself and Lissa and Natalie practically whined when he announced his departure.

"Do you really have to go?"

"It's not very often we have such _stimulating_ guests."

I couldn't help my eye roll at Natalie's brassy comment and wondered how much wine she'd had to drink.

"As much as I have enjoyed your company, I must be getting back. The Marshall runs a tight shift and I wouldn't want to get on her bad side," a small glimpse of that smirk threatened to crop up and I could feel Natalie practically swoon beside me.

Dimitri bowed his head in parting and I realized if I wanted to smooth things over it was now or never. I jumped up from my seat, forgetting all gracefulness by jostling the table, and nearly shouted at him, "I'll see you out."

A cheeky grin crawled up Lissa's face and I turned to head out of the room before Dimitri could protest. He fell in step behind me as I scurried away, the distant sounds of giggling following us down the halls.

One would think after a long, painfully drawn out, silent walk through the Dragomir castle I would have come up with the right words to say, but as we stepped into the brisk night I was at a complete loss.

"So." I awkwardly shifted on the balls of my feet as I looked around at the empty courtyard.

"So," he mimicked.

Warmth seemed to radiate off Dimitri as he stood there next to me. I wasn't sure if it was his attire, or if it was just a component of him that made him always seem so...heated. A chill sliced through the air and I silently cursed myself for not grabbing a cloak. I felt myself being pulled to Dimitri's warmth, so naturally, I took a step away from him instead.

I looked up at him, finally summoning my courage to speak. "I wanted to apologize for how I reacted earlier. I was just...it was uncalled for and—"

Dimitri held up his hand, halting my failing apology. "That's not necessary."

His voice was calm and collected, mirroring the composed look on his face. _Why was I the only awkward one here?_

"It is. I wanted to say—"

He interrupted me again before I could even begin to tell him how sorry I was. "Rose, really. Everything's fine. There's no need for you say anything else on the matter." That same polite smile from dinner returned, softening his sharper features but still not fully reaching his eyes. "Let's just pretend that nothing happened. I think that would be easier for the both of us. Don't you?"

I was baffled. Mere hours ago I had convinced myself that I had mercilessly hurt the man's feelings just to get him to stop pulling me into his seduction, and now he was completely unfazed. Maybe I had imagined it before. Maybe my words really hadn't affected him the way I thought and this was all one huge overreaction.

"Yes," was my short reply, constructed to prevent any other sort of massive miscommunication. _Stupid Rose_.

Dimitri slowly reached his hand out towards me, the anticipation of his touch causing me to swallow. He stopped it halfway between us and said, "Friends?"

Still too confused to do anything other than agree with what he was saying, I nodded my head and raised my hand to his. "Friends," I replied as we shook.

I gave his hand a small squeeze and his smile melted into something a little more genuine. I couldn't help but return it, my mood lightening up under the prospect of obtaining his friendship. It was strange, a couple weeks ago, maybe even days ago, that would have been the last thing I would've wanted. But seeing these other sides to him gave me a better understanding of the man he truly was, and I became interested in getting to know more. Plus, it would make things easier for Victor and our working relationship.

Our hands fell back to our bodies and we turned to head our separate ways. As I moved back to the door, I realized I hadn't bothered to ask him what his thoughts were on Victor's offer. "Dimitri," I called over my shoulder.

He turned back around, a few pieces of his hair coming loose from their tie.

"I hope you do consider what Victor asked. An amicable relationship with the Sage King is something he's strived for, for quite some time. We would really value your input." Dimitri didn't say anything in response, but the simple dip of his chin told me he understood.

I gave him a small wave and pushed through the doors to head back into the castle. Before walking through the threshold I spared one last glance over my shoulder, but all I could see was Dimitri's dark cloak disappearing into the night.

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: You Send Me by Caught A Ghost, Hurt Me by Lapsley**

It was late. I should've been exhausted from the day's events, but I wasn't. I was wide, fucking awake.

I yanked my cloak off my shoulders and threw it onto a stool in the corner of my tent as my mind replayed the happenings of the day. This morning when a castle Guardian had brought me an invitation to dine with the Royal family, I was skeptical. I knew that Lord Dashkov would probably bring up the position he had offered me months ago, hell I was surprised it took him this long, but I accepted knowing that Rose would be there.

I wanted to see her again, in a setting other than the training field. I wanted her to _see_ me.

That was until our sparring demonstrations. Despite the way she had left things the night before, with a swift slap across my face, all I could think about was that kiss. Her soft, yet fierce lips devouring mine. My fingers entangled in her silky locks as her hands clutched onto my shoulders. Waking up that morning I could still feel her warm body pressed against my lap. I wanted that feeling again. I wanted her again.

I knew that would have to wait, I was sure she'd make me work for it, but I was up for the challenge. However, it looked like those hopes would be dashed as soon as I walked up to the sparring ring.

Rose couldn't even look at me.

I thought at first she might have just been a little embarrassed by her aggressiveness—that I admittedly found sexy as hell—or was trying to hold on to her stern sense of professionalism, but when I finally got her alone I realized it was more than that.

" _Look, just because I wanted you last night after a few drinks of whiskey doesn't mean I still do._ _Why would I?"_

Those words dripped with disdain. I'd stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what she was saying when I suddenly realized, she wasn't just a little embarrassed. She was ashamed.

And why shouldn't she be? I was nothing. Just a lowly Dhampir with nothing to offer her other than what I had here in my tent. Maybe once I could have been enough. Back when I fought alongside the Varangian Guard. When I still believed in our cause. When I was still whole.

Even so, she was still far out of my league. I was a fool to think she was anything but. Not only was she passionate, beautiful, fiery, and one hell of a leader, she was a goddamn princess for christ's sake.

And what was I, but half a man destined to wage wars until he was finally brought down on the battlefield?

I tugged at the back of my shirt and ripped it over my head, tossing it to the floor. I sat down on my bed and ran my hands over my face. I needed to stop feeling so damned sorry for myself. If anything I should count myself lucky enough to even know Rose. Since being here, I had come to find a sense of purpose. I wasn't constantly wishing I had died that day in battle or drowning my sorrows in a bottle of wine— _although that didn't seem like such a bad idea right now..._

 _No_.

I knew I may never amount to someone even close to being good enough to earn Rose's affection, but I could at least earn her respect. I glanced over to my discarded tunic and studied the phoenix emblem etched into the left breast, the red stitching a blazing reminder of where I'd come from.

Even though I knew the last person Rose probably wanted to see was me, I had decided to go to that dinner anyways. I wanted to show her I could be professional and wouldn't let this slip up get in the way of our goals. I admired how she wanted so badly to better the troops and was more than willing to help her do it. If I went around brooding or hiding from her, then it would only harm the progress we had made before our run-in at the bar.

My fingers ghosted over my lips at the memory of our tryst. I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to fully get the feel of her hot breath against my skin out of my head.

At the castle, I tried to give her the space she had wanted earlier that day—the space I was too stubborn to allot and indulged in teasing her instead. I avoided engaging her in conversation as best I could and tried to keep my eyes from darting over to her every chance they got. However, I couldn't help but steal a few glances at her from time to time. It wasn't my fault she was so damn gorgeous.

I was surprised to see a particular moment between her and Vasilisa, though. Their interaction would have gone unnoticed by most, I'm not sure if even Victor or Natalie paid much attention to it, but it stood out to me. I knew they were close so I could have chalked it up to sister intuition, but it almost seemed as if they were having a private conversation without even speaking. It reminded me of how a bonded couple from my village would interact every so often and I wondered if there was more to their relationship than just a bond by blood.

Before I could dawn on it too much though, Rose did something that almost sent me careening out of my seat.

She laughed.

Not just the small spurts of amused chuckles or lighthearted sighs I had heard when she interacted with Ashford and Castile. It was full, unabashed laughter, completely unfiltered as Lady Dashkov reminisced with her friends.

If I thought Rose was beautiful when she was fighting, when she was laughing she was like the sun. Radiant, warm, and shedding light on every possible thing that was even slightly shadowed. It was impossible not to stare at her as she enjoyed her family's company, while all I could think was: _damn, I'm in serious trouble_.

I let out a groan in my tent and flopped my back against the bed. What was wrong with me? I barely knew this woman, yet I could feel myself being drawn to her like the tide to the shore.

I needed to find balance. To find a way to maintain our professionalism while still getting the chance to know her. All of her.

When Rose had tried to apologize I was surprised. I thought she would have stood by that statement, but realized she might have been afraid of causing a disruption with Victor's business. She seemed genuinely concerned so I didn't take offense to her wanting to smooth things over purely for professional or political reasons. She was my superior after all. I was pleased that she agreed to let bygones be bygones and try our hand at a friendship. It was certainly better than the alternative and was somewhat hopeful.

I heard the flap of my tent rustle an instant before a 200 lb mass of fur launched at my face. I spit out the loose pieces that stuck to my mouth as Daisy rolled onto her back and nudged the top of her head against mine.

"You insufferable beast," I playfully growled at her as I reached my arm above me and scratched the bottom of her jaw.

She stretched her legs out appreciatively and pressed her wet nose against my temple. The coolness of her snout caused me to jerk away and sit up to face her. Seeing her sprawled out on a pile of my furs created a familiar image and I suddenly felt extremely homesick. It seemed like ages since I had heard word from my family and I decided to draft a letter to them.

As I rose from my bed, Daisy let out an agitated whimper, no doubt disappointed I wasn't planning on scratching her back for the rest of the evening. "You are by far the most spoiled creature I have ever encountered," I mumbled as I made my way to my makeshift desk. "My sisters have ruined you."

She perked up at the mention of them, her ears flapping against her face as she shook her head. Sometimes she still managed to surprise me with her perceptiveness. I smoothed out a piece of parchment over the wooden surface and dipped the quill into a jar of ink. My hand paused over the beige paper, unsure what I wanted to say to them, so I just wrote the first thing that came to mind. I wrote about Rose.

* * *

 **A/N** : Thank you for all the support from the last two chapters! I'm so glad most of you are liking where this story is going. I decided to post this one a little early since a Holiday is coming up and I've foolishly agreed to host Thanksgiving at my place this year. I'm about to be up to my elbows in cooking and cleaning over the next couple of days *facepalms*. If you're in America, Happy Thanksgiving. If you hail from another part of the world, hope you have a great week! I'm beyond grateful to all of you out there reading❣️


	12. Chapter 12

**Part 1 Chapter 12**

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: Up Against The Wall by Peter Bjorn and John, Wolf by First Aid Kit, Angel by Massive Attack**

The next couple of weeks flew by. Since Rose and I were now conducting regular training sessions with some of the other Dragomir Guardians, I had constructed a schedule alternating mornings and nights so we wouldn't get too burned out; although, the early sessions were admittedly my favorite. We often used that time to take advantage of the lingering sunlight and ran through the Emerald woods. Those runs were some of the most peaceful moments I had ever experienced.

I had fallen into an easy rhythm with Rose. Most days our relationship was nothing but professional, but every once in a while we would indulge in friendly conversation and I'd get the opportunity to learn another small piece about the enigma that was Rose Hathaway. She often spoke about Vasilisa and Victor and it was easy to tell how much she loved and admired them. I'd return with tidbits about my family and our life back home, but steered clear of anything too serious, maintaining a light boundary.

I had also decided to take Victor up on his offer and began attending some of their council meetings. At first, I just listened, soaking up as much information as I could about the troubles they were facing with the nearby communities. But after a while, I began voicing my opinion and relating past experiences that could be useful in repairing some of the strain. Rose wasn't always at these meetings. Sometimes it was an entire council, other times it was just Victor, Vasilisa and me, but when Rose did attend, she always seemed pleased to see me there. Maybe I should have been motivated by the fact that I was helping better the relationships of two estranged kingdoms, but in actuality, those quick glances of appreciation from Rose are what kept me in regular attendance.

One night after dinner I decided to take a stroll around the grounds. The weather was quickly becoming cooler and I knew these warmer nights were numbered. I had hoped to bring Daisy along and get her acclimated with the boundaries of the wards, but she was nowhere in sight. That wolf had a habit of running off for hours, even days, at a time, but she'd always find her way back to us.

I made my way around the kingdom's border, keeping one eye fixed on the woods, when I came across a small structure I hadn't seen before. It appeared to be some kind of stable. I wasn't sure if this place was technically within the wards, but I supposed Strigoi would have little use for horses or pigs. I decided to get a closer look and spotted a dim light glistening out of one of the small windows. As I approached, I noticed a figure peering into one of the openings on the other side.

I lightened my footsteps, making my movements as silent as possible. My hand instinctively curled around the silver stake holstered to my side and I crouched down behind a nearby tree to get a better look. My eyes adjusted to the dark surroundings, narrowing in on the silhouette perched at the back of the stable when I suddenly realized it was someone I recognized. Her wild hair was hanging loose down her back and I could tell she was balancing on her tiptoes as she peered into the straw structure.

I maintained my stealthy stride until I was mere feet away from her. Rose wasn't normally one to be so easily snuck up on so I assumed whatever she was watching must have been rather captivating. I resisted the urge to move her hair back and playfully whisper into her ear, and kept a close distance as I quietly said, "What are you doing?"

Rose whipped around, one hand coming up with her hatchet tightly wound in its grip, the other reaching for a dagger at her side. I held my hands up in surrender and wondered if she would have taken a chunk out of my arm if I hadn't decided to stay back.

"N-nothing," she sputtered as she slid her hatchet back into its hiding place. Her cheeks had a slight flush and her breaths came out in uneasy pants.

"Oh really," I raised my brow at her in suspicion as I looked over the window behind her. "Because if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were spying." I moved closer to it, brushing passed her flustered state, and could hear the faint sounds of hushed murmurs.

"I wasn't spying," her whispers held a defensive bite. "I was...waiting."

My eyes darted along the hay-filled room as Rose moved beside me. I looked passed the array of horses, wondering what was so interesting to catch her eye, until I spotted another familiar face; Natalie Dashkov. She was running her hands along a stable boy's bare back, her mouth entwined with his.

I crossed my arms and casually leaned against the wall, fixing Rose with a leery look. "And what exactly was it that you were waiting for then?"

Her mouth dipped into a small frown as her hands rose to her jutted hips. "Oh please, I'm not some kind of perv if that's what you're insinuating."

I held my position, enjoying seeing her squirm. Sometimes my silence seemed to irritate her just as much as my smartass remarks. Something we admittedly had in common.

"Victor was worried that Natalie was still out this late and asked me to check on her. I had a suspicion she'd be here, but by the time I got here she was already...busy," her gaze modestly looked down to the ground and I used the opportunity to lean back down and look into the window once again.

"It didn't seem right to interrupt them," she justified. "Might as well let them have a little fun." Rose's hair tickled my arm as she inched up to the opening in the wall.

Natalie now had the young man pinned against one of the wooden posts, his hands moving up her thighs and under her dress. I could see two small puncture wounds beside his collarbone and already knew where this was going.

Though Moroi could eat and drink normal food like any human or Dhampir, they still needed blood to live off of. However, unlike the Strigoi, they didn't kill those they fed on. Even a little blood could hold them over for longer periods of time. It wasn't usually that hard for the Moroi to come across an ample supply. While they could use compulsion to sway passersby to allow them to feed and wipe their memories of any recollection of it, many humans flocked to villages and kingdoms such as ours to offer their blood willingly.

But not out of the goodness of their hearts, no, there was a benefit for them as well. A Moroi's bite housed venom that had the ability to send its victim into a state of euphoria. Once experienced, it could become rather addicting to some of the weaker-willed, which is probably one of the reasons the intolerant Sage King was having issues with St. Vladimir's Valley.

It was also more than tempting for some to participate in the act during more...intimate interactions. The exhilaration of a bite could heighten the aspects of sex and many humans, and sometimes even Dhampirs, were quick to indulge.

The fair-haired stable boy flipped Natalie around and pushed her hands above her head. She tilted her head back as he trailed open-mouthed kisses along her neck and she let out a loud moan in appreciation. An image of Rose pinned against that post with my mouth roughly ravaging her tanned skin caused my jaw to twitch. My hand discreetly gripped onto the flimsy windowsill to try and maintain my composure, Rose's shallow breaths beside me only increased my agitation.

The stable boy's hands loosened the laces of Natalie's dress exposing her bare shoulder. I couldn't help but wonder how soft that patch of skin would be under my fingertips as I grazed them up Rose's arm, across her chest, along her supple breasts...

All of a sudden a piece of the windowsill broke off in my hand, creating an ear-splitting crack. Our backs pressed against the wall, one of us on each side of the window, in an attempt to fall into the shadows and out of sight of the open aperture.

Rose's eyes narrowed at me from across the way and I just shrugged in response, not really sure what else to do. We stood still as scarecrows, waiting to be caught. I wasn't sure how we would explain this precarious position we had found ourselves in, but I knew I didn't want to be anywhere near a furious Natalie. I imagined all the heinous things she would most likely shout at us for leering at her like a couple of pervs, as Rose so colorfully put it—when suddenly Natalie's moans increased in repentance and volume loud enough to wake an entire village. Rose's eyes went wide as the words " _Oh god, yes,"_ reverberated against the wooden walls.

I ran my hand down my face as a strangled giggle seeped out of Rose's mouth. Natalie's shouts grew to a frequency that I didn't even know was possible and I pushed off of the stable. "We should go," I gruffly whispered as I turned away.

I could hear Rose's shuffling footsteps behind me as I walked around the building, Natalie's cries still following close behind. Her knuckles playfully pressed into my shoulder, her voice taking on a new provocative tone. "What's the matter, Coimheach? Does that bother you?"

I gave her a sidelong glance, still keeping my torso perpendicular to hers. Once again my silence egged her on more than my feeding into her teasing would've as she said, "You're probably just jealous that you've never elicited those sounds from a woman."

I finally turned to face her, and instantly wished I didn't. Rose's arms were across her chest, her chin up in the air defiantly, and a self-satisfied grin plastered across her cheeks. She looked cute as hell.

It was obvious she thought she had finally managed to embarrass me and I considered letting her have this one, but when she was looking at me like _that_ I couldn't help but play into her little game of cat and mouse. "One thing you should know about me, Marshall," I leaned down towards her, only stopping when I was close enough to catch a whiff of her sweet scent of maple and fresh dew. I lowered my voice a little more and flashed her a wicked smirk. "I _always_ leave my women satisfied."

Her complacent grin deflated into a thin line. A sharp breath that never came back out sucked in through her nose and an audible gulp pressed against her throat. I stayed there for an instant, waiting for her brassy retort, but she remained completely silent. _Oh god. She thinks you're an idiot_.

It had been a while since I had let this brazen side out and I was suddenly extremely self-conscious by her lack of reaction. _And now you're staring at her like a mute buffoon_.

 _Quick. Abort before you do anything else completely moronic_.

In one swift motion, I moved away from her and towards the other side of the stable. I silently cursed myself for acting like a total ass but then, I barely heard Rose quietly mumble, "Damn," under her breath. I guess my brash comment had made me the victor in her little game after all and the thought of being able to fluster Rose brought a relieved smile to my lips as she approached my back.

"So what are you doing all the way out here," she asked, bringing that former confidence back to her voice.

"Looking for Daisy," I automatically replied. Not entirely the reason for being out this far, but I thought just saying that I felt like going for a walk would be less convincing. She eyed me with suspicion, clearly not believing me, but was stopped short before forming an argument. As if summoned by my lame excuse, the aforementioned wolf appeared out of the woods and strolled over to us. I could have kissed that enormous canine.

"I see," Rose drawled as Daisy's tail whipped by her. "If you're having a hard time keeping track of your beast, maybe you should put a leash on it."

"If you'd like to try, be my guest," I gestured to the giant wolf as she side-eyed Rose.

"And risk getting fleas? There's no way I'm touching that thing." Rose tried to form a somewhat disgusted countenance at Daisy, but her lighter tone revealed her falsity. I gave her half a smile and rolled my eyes, letting her keep up this wolf-hating veneer she was so hellbent on maintaining.

I reached down and gave Daisy's ear a quick scratch when Rose's unprovoked laughter pulled my focus back up.

"What?" I had no idea what propelled her into such a fit, but it was more endearing than troubling.

"Nothing. Just picturing you walking around with that mutt on a leash like your little lap dog creates a rather entertaining visual."

"Your mind wanders to strange places."

"You have no idea, Coimheach," she flipped her hair over her shoulder and put on a signature simper.

It baffled me how this woman could go from adorable and teasing to bold and sexy in a matter of seconds, and I tried not to become entranced by her smile. She opened her mouth with no doubt another sassy retort when out of nowhere, she was in my arms. Her knees were buckled under her and her hands were gripped around my forearms. I thought maybe she had lost her footing and I was lucky to have caught her when I saw a bushy white tail flipping behind her.

"Damn mutt," she huffed under her breath as she looked over her shoulder at Daisy, who was playing all too coy. My brows pulled together in an admonishing glare in the wolf's direction, but she just scampered by innocently.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten—" my reparation was cut short as soon as Rose's face turned towards me. She regained her balance but had yet to move away. My fingers were curled under her arms, my chin mere inches from the top of her head, her focus pointedly fixed on my chest. This was the closest we had been without a punch flying at the other since the night in the bar.

Her skin felt like warm honey under my hands and even in the dark, I could see the small splash of freckles across her nose. Rose's gaze slowly traced up my collar and neck, leaving a searing trail of cinders in its wake. A thick strand of almost blackened hair rested against her cheek, blocking my full view of her face. I loosened my hold on one of her arms and reached up to push it back. Her hair was like silk between my fingers, almost sliding out before I could secure it behind her ear.

Rose's fingers twitched against my arm and a short puff of air blew against my chest as the tip of my thumb grazed her lobe. My touch must have been coarse to her. Where my hands were rough and calloused from years of combat, hers were soft while still managing to be incredibly strong. Another enigma that I had recently discovered. Her bottom lip sunk between her teeth as she looked up at me and all I could think about was how I wanted to capture it between my teeth instead.

Now that she was upright, I could have let her go, I _should_ have let her go but some unknown force held me in place. I was the tide pulling to the moon, and she was the luminous pearl in the sky drawing me in.

Her lip slipped out from its hold and parted in an attempt to speak. For a moment, nothing came out, but when it finally did the sound was angelic.

"Dimitri."

My name. It was more of a breath than an actual sound, but for a moment I couldn't remember ever hearing something so sweet. This time my silence wasn't an attempt to provoke her, I was truly left speechless, though I hoped it would cause her to speak again all the same. Her mouth moved to say something and my heart raced in anticipation of hearing that heavenly melody.

However, whatever thought she had planned to speak was immediately cut off as she doubled over and gripped her stomach. Her face went down with the rest of her torso, her hair falling over her shoulders to hide the troubled scrunch of her brow.

"Rose, what's wrong? Are you alright," my voice was more panicked than I had meant it to be, but I had never seen her in pain before. Even when she received the jagged gash on her arm during a skirmish with the Vikings she seemed unfazed by it, but now she was blatantly hurting and my insides suddenly felt like a bottomless pit as I stood there helplessly. My hand reached up to Rose's shoulder to try and soothe her, but before I could touch her, her face shot back up with a threatening look in her eyes.

"Get Natalie to the castle, now!" Her voice was eerily quiet for how serious it was. It was like she was screaming at me without rising above a faint whisper. She reached for one of her larger daggers and straightened up as she unsheathed her sword while turning to face the treeline.

"What's happening?" I instinctively reached for my weapon as well and fell in line beside her. I scanned the treeline for any approaching danger, but couldn't see or hear anything.

Rose whipped her gaze over her shoulder and fixed me with a stern look I hadn't seen since those first few days of camp. It somehow made her look years older with a commanding presence to make men fall to their knees before her if she so chose. "Belikov, do as I say. Get Natalie and the stable boy out of here and behind the wards. That's an order."

I didn't want to leave her. Whatever it was, I had a horrible feeling about it. But she was my superior, she was a hell of a fighter, and I had to trust her judgment. I gave her a sharp nod and turned towards the stable. "Ostat'sya s ney," I commanded to Daisy before running to the building's entrance. I slammed through the doors, not bothering to check if they were decent.

"Lady Dashkov, come with me now. There's danger outside." She didn't waste a moment. The couple had instantly pulled apart upon my entrance and she quickly put herself together and raced towards me. "You too, come on," I waved the young man over.

We dashed through the tall grass and I kept Natalie within arms' reach of me as my eyes darted along our surroundings. The stable boy started to stagger due to the blood loss and lingering effects of the bite, so I latched on to the back of his shirt and heaved him forward. It only took a few minutes to get back to the wards but Rose had told me to get her to the castle so I didn't slow our pace until we were within the walls. I directed Natalie to go home immediately and grabbed a couple Guardians and ordered them to follow me. I was in no position to be making demands, but as soon as they heard their Marshall needed backup they immediately joined my side. I directed them down to the treeline as we raced through the fields. When we approached the stable I couldn't hear any sign of a struggle, but there was a distinct smell that made every one of my nerves stand on end.

Blood. A vision of Ivan's still eyes as he laid face down on the ground momentarily froze me in place.

The other Guardians rushed by me, one of their shoulders nudging my arm in the process, jostling me back to the present. I launched at the stable, my fingertips scraping along the building's rough surface as I whipped around the corner. The Guardians were huddled around what appeared to be a body on the ground. All I could see were its motionless shoes and quickly moved closer to get a better look. As soon as two of the men parted a strangled breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding pushed out of me. Rose was standing on the other side of the men apparently unscathed. Below her was a Strigoi, a silver dagger lodged into its heart.

She began giving out orders and pointing to other spots within the tall grass. As I took in our surroundings I realized the Strigoi at our feet wasn't the only one. There was a female behind Guardian Alto with a gaping hole in her throat so large it was a surprise her head was still attached. Then another just a few yards away was laying still with Rose's sword implanted in its back.

"You took on all of them by yourself?" One of the Guardians asked, looking around wide-eyed and aghast.

"Don't look so surprised. Besides, I had some help," Rose responded as she gestured to Daisy. I looked down at the wolf, a protective snarl still fixed on her features along with deep red stains soaking her snout—no doubt the cause of the jagged gash in the female Strigoi's neck.

The men began moving over to the other bodies to examine them, which finally gave me full sight of Rose. When she had spoken to the wary Guardian, her voice oozed with confidence, but as I examined her for injuries I could see her hand shaking ever so slightly at her side.

I looked over to my left to see that the Guardians were engrossed in a hushed conversation over the battered Strigoi and decided to approach Rose. One of her hands was rubbing a spot on the back of her shoulder, her eyes aimed at the ground focused on nothing in particular.

"Rose," I tried to speak softly, but the sound of my voice seemed to jolt her to attention.

"Huh? Yeah, what?"

"Are you alright," my eyes flicked to her shoulder and she immediately dropped her hand.

"I'm fine." She wiped some of the grime onto her trousers, straightening up a bit in the process. "I guess that fleabag of yours comes in handy."

I could tell she was putting in effort to add assurance to her voice, but could still detect a trembling note. "What happened," I asked soberly.

"Two of them came out of the trees. The first was unskilled and easy to put down, the other was a bit more challenging. That female came at my back and sucker-punched me in the shoulder, shifty bitch," she huffed the insult under her breath. "Daisy leaped at her and gave me enough time to take care of the other one until I could finish her off as well."

I'd gathered as much.

"I meant before that. When you—" I looked her over again, unsure how to phrase my question. I had no idea what had caused her to double over before, but it seemed to spark realization of danger nearby. The thought of her pained and clenching her side caused that former feeling of needing to comfort her and I reached out to touch her arm. As soon as my palm made contact with her though she sharply jerked away, her mouth contorting into a tight sneer.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Belikov." Her tone was harsh and guarded. "Join the others and get this mess cleaned up. I have other work to do."

Rose stalked by me, making a point not to come within arms reach of me as she headed back to the wall. Daisy made a move to follow her, but I summoned her back over to me instead. She gave one last look at Rose over her shoulder before sauntering towards the Guardians, no doubt sensing the same unrest in our fearless leader as I did.

* * *

 **A/N:** Looks like Dimitri's on to Rose.. And if these two aren't getting any action, then might as well let Natalie have a little fun ;). We finally get our first look at Daisy in action, whereas up until now she's really just been Dimitri's shadow (or a Romitri instigator lol). You can guarantee that she's a formidable force when it comes to Strigoi though. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!

 **Translations:**

"Ostat'sya s ney." - "Stay with her."

 **Update:**

Thank you yunacarmen for reminding me of this! If any of you haven't already heard about the possibility of a new book being turned into a netflix series, well here it is!

With Netflix looking for a new book series to adapt, this is a perfect time to trend #PickUpVampireAcademy and you also need to tag Netflix and NetflixLife

How: Tweet #PickUpVampireAcademy at 1:30 pm EST as much as you can. Don't forget to tag netflix and netflixlifee

Time: December 1st, 01:30 PM EST


	13. Chapter 13

**Part 1 Chapter 13**

 **RPOV**

 **Song: Strong - RAC Remix by London Grammar**

Several days after the incident with the Strigoi, things were finally getting back to normal. Although Guardians were well trained to be prepared for such instances, it still caused unrest within the kingdom. Understandably so, since blood-sucking demons almost took out a well-known member of the Dashkov line.

Natalie had told her father she had been down passed the wards to tend to some of the gardens out there. It wasn't entirely unbelievable since she was an exceptional earth user and especially indulged in her skills with herbology. I _supposedly_ stumbled upon her after she had "lost track of time", and the rest was history. I was more than willing to keep Victor in the dark regarding her other...activities of the evening but gave a full detailed report on everything that had happened thereafter.

It had been quite some time since a Strigoi sighting in the area occurred and I took it very seriously. Extra men were set up on guard at all hours of the night and the wards were reinspected each day to make sure they would keep the enemy out. I saw these precautions as necessary, where Victor saw them as a good way to keep panic at bay from inside our walls. Lissa was asked to make a statement to the kingdom, assuring them that we had everything under control and as always, they were receptive to her calming demeanor. She had a way of making even the most distant stranger feel completely at ease.

I had wanted to take a smaller group of scouts into the woods to see if we could find any trace of more lurkers in the dark, but Victor advised against it for now. He wanted to make sure we had everything under control within the walls of St. Vlad's before we ventured out looking for answers. The impulsive side of me wanted to take action now, but I reluctantly decided to listen to Victor's logic and reasoning...for now.

With all the extra work I had been putting in around the kingdom, Dimitri and I had put our training on hold. At first, I was a little relieved for the distance. His comment after my teasing him about Natalie had affected me more than it should have.

 _"One thing you should know about me, Marshall, I_ always _leave my women satisfied_."

The memory of his strong yet sensuous touch in the tavern and those fervent lips against my neck made me think that statement was probably true. Jesus Christ, why did he have to be so damn good at throwing me off-balance, and not just in the sparring ring.

Then there was that awkwardly heated moment, thanks to his irritating mutt. The first time we had been that close in the tavern it only took about two seconds for Dimitri to close the gap, but as I supported myself against him in the field he just stared at me—still as a statue. _What was he thinking? Did he want to kiss me again? Did I want him to?_

Before dawning on it for too long, I quickly realized those kinds of thoughts were completely ridiculous and chalked it up to us being indirectly heated from catching Natalie and her stable boy in the act. I'm sure second-hand stimulation was a real thing. It had probably been written about in one of those pointless books Dimitri kept in his tent.

Aside from the other mishaps though, the real deterrent was after the attack when Dimitri started asking questions I didn't want to answer. Yes, distance was definitely good.

However, after a day or two, I had admittedly started to miss our sessions. I was learning a lot from him, skills that I could no doubt translate to my troops, and was almost somewhat enjoying spending time with him...on a professional level that is. Maybe occasionally even friendly, but certainly nothing more.

I had just left one of the guarding stations at the wall to receive an updated report on any possible sightings and began the walk back to the anterior of the kingdom. I slowed my pace, allowing the sun to sink into my skin and warm me up on that chilly afternoon. I thought I should probably start wearing my thicker cloak as winter approached, but was glad I didn't that day as the sun shone brightly above.

I stopped my stride and closed my eyes, giving myself a moment of calming peace. I took a deep breath, inhaling the distant scent of wheatgrass when a small noise caught my attention. At first, I thought it had been a chirp from a goldfinch or a rook but as I narrowed my sights I could see two figures in the distance. I walked a little closer towards them but stayed near the wall in case it was another merry band of Vikings ready to continue our pleasant chat.

It only took a couple of yards to see that it was most definitely not Vikings, although he was no doubt large enough to pass as one. It was Dimitri and Daisy, running through the tall grass. He was jogging from point to point, whipping around in sudden bursts as the wolf lept after him. Occasionally, she'd let out a small barking noise at him and he'd reach out to grab at her bushy tail or chest as she spun around.

It was strange seeing such a threatening beast act this way around Dimitri. Flashes of red stained fangs and a blood-soaked snarl came to mind. Daisy's sharp teeth had sunk into the Strigoi's flesh as easily as a pitchfork into a pail of creamy butter. The she-demon had made the most sickening gargled scream that seemed to catch in her half exposed throat. That strangled sound, while making me extremely nauseous, seemed to spur the wolf on even more. She was ferocious and vehement against the Strigoi; however, now, she tramped through the grass in a gentle, playful manner with Dimitri. I felt a simultaneous amount of fear and comfort at what power lied beneath that seemingly good-natured animal.

Another lively noise echoed across the valley as Dimitri attempted to side-step Daisy. A small smile slid across my teeth as I thought about how similar the two companions were. He was calm, collected, and inhumanly fierce in a fight. He was a deadly force beyond even my comprehension at times, but he also housed the capability to restrain that power and act in a completely normal manner. Well, if you counted cocky, facetious, and slightly pig-headed as normal.

As I watched them interact, I could see a glimmer of a smile playing on Dimitri's lips. Most of the time his sarcastic smirks or polite, tight-lipped smiles were the only sign that he could be anything other than stoic, but every once in a while I would see a hint of something more. Something real. A hum of amusement escaped me as I carelessly admired their light-hearted state.

 _I wonder what he would look like with a true, full grin adorning his face? Had anyone been successful in bringing it out?_

Dimitri wrestled the wolf to the earth, crushing the tall stalks of grass as they rolled around. An audible laugh escaped me and I brushed my hair from my face as the wind picked up.

"What's so funny?"

I whipped around to the voice mere inches behind me to find Mason regarding me curiously.

 _Oh, shit_. "Uh, nothing," I shrugged.

He looked over my shoulder and I followed his gaze to see Dimitri and Daisy running again in the same staggered patterns as before.

"Uh huh. I see," Mason peered back down to me knowingly. "I thought you hated that thing."

"Hate is a strong word. Deep dislike would be more accurate," I countered. "Besides, that's a little harsh. Just because he's foreign I wouldn't call him a _thing_. He's a Dhampir like you and me."

Mason's freckled face cracked into a huge grin. "I was talking about the wolf, Rose."

"Oh. Uh, right. I knew that." _Idiot_.

He chuckled at my slightly flustered state and I hastily searched for a way to change the subject. "So, what are you doing out here? Other than stalking me of course." I flashed him a coy smirk and scooped my hands onto my jutted hips.

His eyebrows slightly rose and he immediately fed into my teasing. "Obviously, watching you from behind tall shrubbery and dark alleys is one of my particularly favorite pastimes. By the way, love the new drapes in your room," he added with a wink.

I laughed at his light-humor and we both began walking back to the wall, exchanging our usual banter. After a couple more brilliant lines, Mason's face grew slightly more serious and he slowed his steps. "Actually, Rose I came to bring you this." his hand reached into the back of his trousers and pulled out a small beige envelope. "It came this morning. Thought I should be the one to give it to you."

I recognized the seal imprinted in the dark red wax immediately and a pit began to form in my stomach. "Oh," I gripped my fingers around the letter and pulled it from his hand. "Thanks for that."

I tried to give him a small smile, but the drop in my mood was apparent.

When there was an attack in a nearby area within our society it was customary for us to notify one another—which included the kingdom my mother resided in. I hadn't seen her in years and the only form of communication we had were letters such as these...and they were rarely pleasant.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Catch you later, Hathaway." Mason gave me one last friendly smile before he headed off. He knew about the tumultuous mother-daughter relationship we shared, and I appreciated his efforts to lighten my mood...however unsuccessful.

I considered putting it off until tomorrow but knew if I did I would only risk the chance of ruining a full day where now at least it would only be half of one. I let out an agitated sigh and ripped open the envelope revealing an all too familiar phrase:

 _Rosemarie, what were you thinking?_

 _/_

My axe slammed into the wooden trunk, sending splintered shards soaring into the air. A couple of the smaller pieces clung to my loose curls, but I didn't bother removing them. I wrenched my axe out of the thick wood and cranked it behind me before pounding it back into the tree.

I repeated this ritual a few more times before a snap of a twig from behind caused me to pause. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was, there was only one person who could get that close to me without detection.

"What do you want," I curtly called out, keeping my focus aligned with the tree now scarred with crisp cuts from my heaving weapon.

"We saw you from the valley," his deep accent thrummed. "Everything alright?"

"Not really," I swung my axe into the trunk again, landing directly into one of my deeper gashes. "And no, I don't want to talk about it."

I heard Daisy's shorter footsteps follow Dimitri as he moved beside me, still keeping a good distance.

"Fine," he replied calmly. I had half-expected him to press me or leave out of frustration, so when I spared him a small sidelong glance I was surprised to see him rolling up his sleeves as he bent down to pick up another axe from the pile on the ground. "We won't talk."

His hands adjusted along the base of his weapon and he took a stance in front of a tree beside me. A spec of silver glinted in the sunlight as he slashed the sharp head into the wood and pulled it back out again. I turned my attention back to my victim and continued my assault.

My face was hot and my teeth were clenched as I reran her words over and over in my mind, each time striking the trunk just a little bit harder. Eventually, the steady rhythm of metal clanging against wood started to mollify me. Dimitri stayed true and didn't speak a word, but the feel of him beside me and the sound of his exhales as his axe slammed into the tree created an oddly serene ambiance.

After another half hour, I finally put my axe down and walked over to a small patch of grass to rest on. Dimitri continued chopping for a few more minutes before stopping to join me on the ground. His white tunic clung to his toned muscles where sweat had soaked through. His sleeves were pushed up past his forearms and his tanned skin seemed to glisten under the thin sheen. He brushed his damp hair away from his face with one hand as the other reached behind him to pull out a small waterskin. Dimitri handed it over to me before taking any for himself and I accepted it appreciatively.

After taking a few glutinous gulps, I handed it back to him and breathed out a "Thanks."

"I've learned to always keep some on me in case the next time I'm unfairly punished, I won't have to venture three miles to get it," he slyly retorted as he poured the refreshing liquid into his mouth.

Someone remarking on my previous orders negatively should have pissed me off, but I found myself letting out an amused huff instead. My reaction seemed to confuse him slightly, but he refrained from asking. We sat there quietly for a few moments, catching our breaths and letting the pleasant breeze cool us down. My fingers entwined the lush grass as Daisy strolled over and plopped down beside me. Her height towered over mine in a seated position, which made me feel a little uneasy at first, but eventually, she stretched her legs out in front of her and rested her chin on the soft dirt.

My fingers continued to twirl as my thoughts jumped around. I realized I hadn't really been near the two of them since the Strigoi attack and wasn't really sure where we had left things. Dimitri seemed to be in good spirits, so I could only hope that my cold attitude towards him had been forgotten. I hadn't meant to be so dismissive that night, but there were certain parts of myself that weren't known to the public. Things I wasn't sure if others could really comprehend.

The grass took on a silky feel under my palm and I sank it deeper into its exceptional warmth.

Dimitri had been making an effort to earn my respect and so far, aside from off-handed comments and jokes, he had been rather trustworthy. If Victor truly wanted us to work side-by-side in the future, maybe I should let him in a little more. But the sudden fear that he may not receive it well rang in the back of my mind. _Why did I even care what he thought?_

"You know, it's very rare for her to let anyone touch her. Outside of my family, I'm not sure if she's ever given someone else the chance."

"Huh?" Dimitri's words dragged my attention back, but it took me a moment to realize what he was referring to. He stared at me pointedly and nodded his head down beside me. I looked to the right to see my hand woven in Daisy's fur. I hadn't realized I'd been doing that.

My hand froze and I slowly began to move it away, but the comfort of the soft fur against my skin pulled me back in. I continued to twine the silver and gray swirls, earning an appreciative rumble from the wolf. "Well, she had my back the other night. I guess it's only fair I return the favor."

A knowing hum came out of Dimitri and I turned my focus back to him. There was a look on his face as he gazed at Daisy. It was almost...beholden. I decided despite my insecurities, he had a right to know.

"Dimitri," I started, pulling his gaze up to mine. "About the other night. I...you see, I was…" I tried to pull my thoughts together, realizing I hadn't really had to explain this side of me before. Everyone else that was privy to it had experienced it as I abruptly came to terms, so I never had the need to backtrack.

"It's alright, Rose. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to." His face was full of understanding and patience. It was a look I had only seen one other time after a dinner at the castle, but it was somehow very fitting. Like he had a lifetime of experience with situations that called for it.

"I want to tell you," I straightened up. "It's not something that I normally discuss, especially with the troops, but I...I trust you."

I saw a glint of that true smile return and I wondered how my words had managed to draw it out.

Before I could change my mind, I took in a deep breath and launched into the explanation of how Lissa and I had developed the bond. His only response was a pensive nod every so often and a tiny flinch when I mentioned my death, but as I spoke I was surprised to find that the majority of the information seemed to pass by him unfazed. Especially the bits about me being pulled into Lissa's head.

"So the other night, that feeling you got was a sort of warning of approaching Strigoi? You can sense them," he asked as I finally finished.

"Yes, my connection to the dead, or undead in their case, is stronger than most," I clarified. "I can sense when they are nearby."

"That's fascinating," he mused. "I didn't know being shadow-kissed could cause that." He looked to the ground thoughtfully, as he appeared to be going through a mental checklist. Suddenly, a thought clicked in my head.

"You know another bonded pair," I asked, understanding finally rearing its head. I hadn't yet used the term that Lissa and I referred to for my tie with death. Shadow Kissed. In research and through a few of the other kingdoms we had come to discover its meaning and association with me, but I didn't think it was a common term, especially among Dhampirs. It would explain how none of this seemed to bother him in the least and he was more responsive than stupefied.

"Yes," he replied calmly. "My godmother and her husband actually. I lived with them for a short while after...after an incident with my father," he paused before continuing, a dark look briefly crossing his features. "I picked up on their tells and noticed some similarities between you and Lissa."

I briefly considered asking him to elaborate on this so-called "incident" but decided to stay on topic instead. "Do you think they would ever consider coming to visit or even writing to Lissa? There aren't many spirit users in the area, we usually get our information from secondhand of secondhand notions. It would be really great to gain some insight from someone in direct contact."

He considered this for a moment before responding. "They are relatively private people, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. I'm sure if they knew of other solutions to some of the issues you two experience they would be happy to share them."

My eyes lit up with excitement and the prospect of helping Lissa with her depression, and before I could stop myself my arms landed around Dimitri's neck as I flung myself against him. I was surprised by the intense warmth of his skin against mine. I would have thought the chilly air would have cooled him off by now, but could only assume he was still hot from chopping the tree. Or maybe that's just how he always was. Warm. I should have felt completely awkward for this unexpected show of emotion, but when his hands gently moved to the top of my back to give me a gentle squeeze, it almost felt...right. Like it could easily become a place where I belonged.

"Thank you, Dimitri. You don't know what this means to us," I whispered against his shoulder.

He gave me a small nod, his chin brushing my arm and I could have sworn for a split second I heard a sharp inhale as his head tilted towards my hair. His hands quickly dropped from my back and I instantly released him from my spontaneous hold. He cleared his throat and looked down at the ground, and I couldn't help but study his reaction. Was he actually being...shy?

Ha! No. Impossible. Dimitri Belikov being shy was about as likely as our Holy Priest having a sudden urge to run through the local tavern stark naked.

"So," his voice picked back up. "Is that why you were up here? To burn out the darkness from Princess Vasilisa?" He gestured towards the huge trees with an array of old and new slashes through them. It would take months of constant hacking to actually cut them down, which had been my main appeal in them in the first place.

"No," I sighed. Although they were a regular outlet for me to let off some steam after Lissa had practiced too much magic, I had other reasons today. "It's my mother."

Dimitri's questioning brow furrowed "You mean, Guardian Janine Hathaway?"

"The one and only," I pulled a few pieces of grass from the ground and tossed them aside, not bothering to hide the annoyance from my tone. I couldn't really be surprised that he'd heard of her, she was a distinguished warrior, but I'd hoped someone from his part of the world would be one of the few who could give two shits about the amazing exploits of Janine Hathaway.

"I take it the two of you don't always see eye to eye."

"If you only knew how big of an understatement that was, Coimheach."

Another small chuckle passed between us and I reached into my back pocket to reveal the now crinkled letter. "She heard about the attack."

I could tell Dimitri still didn't understand why this would cause me to be in a poor mood, so rather than explain it I just handed him the letter. He looked at me for reassurance before taking it and carefully opened the flimsy paper, taking much greater care than me not to rip the delicate edges. His eyes skimmed over her scribbled ink and despite phrases like, _completely irresponsible_ , _never taking into consideration, and it's time for you to grow up_ , his expression remained completely emotionless. When he was done, he neatly folded it up and handed it back to me.

"She doesn't want me to fight, little less lead. She thinks I should uphold my duties as Princess instead. Even though she's a renowned Guardian in the field, she has these unrealistic expectations of what my life should be like. Sometimes I can't help but think how nearsighted she is. She's never once just asked me what I want."

Dimitri sat there quietly, looking down at his arms now crossed over his knees. Most people would never speak so disrespectfully about their parents and I suddenly felt shameful for letting my mouth run wild. "I'm sorry. I know she birthed me and it's immoral to speak ill-will of your parents," a phrase I had heard the priest repeat time and time again in church. I had seen Dimitri regularly attend and could only assume I had insulted his beliefs. "I shouldn't have said any of that. I know we are supposed to listen to them and go by what they say but I—"

"I don't believe that," he sharply interrupted.

"What," I responded meekly, still afraid that I had offended him.

"I don't believe that. Just because they brought us to this earth, does not mean they know what is best or that we owe them everything," he clarified. "My father was... _is_ not a good man."

I pulled my feet up, mirroring his position beside me as he continued to look away. "When I was younger he would come to visit my family every few months. His visits sometimes started out normal, but always took a turn for the worse," that darkened look returned and I felt a chill snake up my arms. "When he would drink too much he would turn violent and channeled that violence towards my mother. I tried to stop him a few times, but I was too young and he was bigger than me."

I held my breath, trying not to let my emotions run wild. Although some human villages held women no higher than a man's property, our society steered away from those beliefs. We knew our purpose was to help further a family line and sacrificed a lot to do so, but that didn't mean we were to be used or mistreated just for the pleasure of men.

"I went to the Guardians after finding my mother with three broken ribs and a bruised eye, but she told them she had fallen off our horse and shooed them away." Dimitri's jaw twitched and I carefully slipped my hand in his as a show of support. I didn't know who I was supporting, his present, troubled self or that worried little boy from his past, but it seemed to be enough to spur him on. "She believed it was a slip-up and that my father would change. That was the moment I realized I had to fix the problem myself."

"Please tell me you kicked his ass," I pressed, trying not to sound too excited by the prospect of what was to come.

He turned to face me, the edges of his mouth curving in the slightest as he gazed into my eager eyes. "I did," he sounded almost proud, despite the small twinge of pain the meaning of those words held. "When I was thirteen I finally had the strength and ability to put the fear of God in him and told him that if he ever came back, I'd be there waiting. He didn't test it to find out."

I couldn't help the astonished look from taking over my face. He was a true protector. His cocky comments and cavalier attitude had made me think he possibly thought less of the fairer sex, but as he spoke now it was clear as day how much he cared about the women in his family and would stand up to anyone, including his own father, to keep them safe.

"Afterwards my mother was devastated. She blamed me for him not returning and I moved in with my godparents until she could get her mind right. I'm pretty sure it was just the withdrawals from him feeding on her and not what she actually thought. But my point is, our parents may think they know what's best, but that's not always true. Your mother wants you to indulge in a life that she could never have, but you were clearly born for this one that you've created for yourself," his solemn look started to morph into something I could only describe as admiration, and his fingers still wrapped with mine squeezed me tighter. "You're strong, dedicated, and one of the bravest people I've ever met. If she thinks you're not made out for this, then she couldn't be more wrong."

I just stared at him, aghast and completely speechless. No one had ever, and I mean ever, claimed Janine Hathaway to be wrong. I mean, yeah, I had _thought_ it plenty of times. But to hear someone outright agree with me, someone who had fought beside some of the greatest warriors of our time and had trained to be one of them. I could hardly believe it. I peered into his deep brown eyes, trying to find some semblance of falsity or humor but his face was completely serious and maybe even a little—reverent. I had never needed reassurance from anyone before. I was confident in my decision to fight despite others' protests, but as those words resonated between us a rush of pride flooded me.

"Th-thank you, Dimitri. Truly."

His free hand moved off of his knee towards my face, the other still entwined with mine. That strange fluttering in my chest reappeared as he moved closer, but my eyes remained fixed on his. My hair tickled my neck as his fingers moved against it, then the thick waves fell to my shoulder again when his arm moved back towards him. A grin tugged at his lips as his eyes went to a small piece of wood in his hand, no doubt one of the many scraps now tangled in my hair.

"You're welcome, Roza," he said as he tossed the piece of bark aside and began to rise. He pulled me up with him, only dropping my hand when we were both standing.

Daisy hopped up and shook her fur to rid it of any excess grass it might have gathered and we began walking downhill back towards the valley. Eager for a lighter topic we both began a conversation about starting our training sessions back up and particular techniques we were interested in learning more about. I felt at ease, no longer letting the dark feelings my mother's letter had caused to hover over me, but I couldn't help but feel like something was missing. I rubbed my hand that had been enclasped with Dimitri's and placed it in a pocket of my trousers, wondering why it suddenly felt colder than it had before.

* * *

 **A/N** : Sorry for only one song choice for the length of this entire chapter, but I felt like it really encompassed everything that happened and all the moods Rose fluctuates between. She's finally feeling comfortable enough around Dimitri to open up a little more, which in turn prompts him to do the same. This scene was obviously adapted from VA, but it's one of my favorite moments in the original series. I love when we get to see the small things that make Dimitri the man he is, and his past with his father is a key part of his life.

AND we finally got our first Roza! *swoon*

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter :). Much more to come.


	14. Chapter 14

**Part 1 Chapter 14**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Overnight Sensation by BORNS, Absolute Loser by Fruit Bats, Reconfiguration by Other Lives, Clint Eastwood by Trey Anastasio**

"Not so tight Liss," I protested.

"Oh hush you big baby, I'm almost through."

I jutted out my bottom lip in a pout and glared at my torturer through the mirror. Lissa pointedly ignored me and continued pulling thick strands of my hair into an elegant crown braid. I'm not sure why she insisted on dolling me up when this dinner was meant for her, but I obliged all the same. Besides, it seemed to calm her nerves and placate her for the time being.

I knew she was beyond nervous about meeting Lord Ozera. If the jittery feelings through the bond weren't enough, her gnawed down fingernails and twitchy brow were a dead giveaway. Though I'm not sure why she would be worried. Even in one of her more modest dresses and uncombed hair, she was the depiction of elegant beauty, but now, adorned with a light blue dress that reminded me of a Robin's egg on a spring day and her silky hair neatly placed in delicate curls I wasn't sure how anyone would be able to keep their eyes off the ethereal creature above me.

"Don't you think it's about time you cut it? I thought the female Guardians liked to wear it short anyway," Natalie chimed in from my bed, her head hanging upside down over the edge causing her pale face to redden.

"Hell no. Wouldn't dream of it," I said to her reflection in the mirror. "Besides, it's one of my greatest weapons." I wiggled my eyebrows at her and a laugh caught in her stretched throat. It was true, most females in my profession tended to keep their hair shorter, if not for convenience then to show off their Molnija marks, but I _loved_ my hair. It was heavy and inconvenient most days, but it gave me a sense of power that I couldn't quite explain.

Lissa twisted another tendril around her fingers and took a pin from a holster on her wrist to secure the last piece in place.

"There, all done." My sister admired her handy-work as I turned my head in the mirror, and I had to admit it looked pretty damn good.

"Well, would you look at that. She almost looks like a respectable lady," Natalie jested as she flipped over onto her stomach and propped herself up onto her elbows.

"Almost," Lissa countered, pointing to the dress laying on my bed. I let out a loud groan and slumped over my stool.

"Ugh, do I have to? Isn't the hair enough?"

Her only response was a sharp look that said _don't mess with me right now_ , and I languidly dragged my feet over to it. Natalie reached over to the bedside table and snatched up the bottle of wine she had brought over to help " _chill everyone's moods_ " and took a giant swig before handing it to Lissa. As the two of them began to relax, I slipped out of my nightgown and began the excruciating process of putting on a formal dress. A small sigh escaped from Natalie as I stood there and she said, "I would kill for your body, Rose. It's not even fair."

I lifted the heavy fabric and loosened some of the threads. "What are you groaning about? I seem to remember several men offering to eat chips from yer nickers," I winked, referring to the many times she had gone into full details about her sexual conquests.

"That may be true," she smiled proudly. "But I've seen the way men look at you. It's like they are physically having to force their jaws shut. Even when you wear those ridiculous trousers."

I tossed a pillow at her bouncy curls, eliciting a high-pitched yelp followed by light-hearted giggles. "Rose, careful," Lissa admonished, no doubt worried about me accidentally ruining her hard work.

"Speaking of men," Natalie started as I stepped into my burgundy dress. It wasn't nearly as elaborate as Lissa's with her delicate gold trim and exaggerated sheer sleeves, and was actually pretty modest considering the formal setting. But it hugged me tighter than the other Moroi girls' petite figures and came slightly off my shoulders showing off my tanned complexion and curvier assets.

"What of them," I prodded as I began tightening the white criss-cross threads on the front bodice.

"I don't know how you don't go crazy down there at the camp. Especially with that Guardian Belikov around." Natalie and Lissa shared a swooned look, causing me to roll my eyes.

"He's so handsome," Lissa agreed.

"Yeah," Natalie chirped. "If I was out there wrestling with him all day, there's no way I could _not_ jump his bones. The temptation must be ungodly."

"Hardly," I scoffed. "He's just a man, like all of the others. Nothing godly of the sorts."

A comically similar look of skepticism crossed both of their faces as I smoothed out the bottom of my dress.

"Don't give me that. I'm being serious," I countered. "Besides we don't roll around ' _wrestling all day'_. He's just been showing me—"

I paused, the subject of training with Dimitri suddenly making me realize a crucial mistake I had made.

"Ballix!"

"What?!" The girls gasped, one horrified one thrilled beyond comprehension.

"No, not that. I forgot to cancel our session this evening," I looked outside noticing there was probably still enough time for me to get word to him. "I'll be right back."

"But Rose," Lissa protested.

"Don't worry, Liss. I'll be careful of my hair," I gave her a reassuring smile and scurried out of my room.

The camp wasn't too far from the castle so I didn't need to run to get there in time, which would keep my dress and hair intact—unfortunately.

As I began making my way towards Dimitri's tent I caught wind of a strange noise. It was some kind of screeching, scratching sound that was almost painful to listen to. Every once in a while something resembling a music note would seep through, but it was quickly smothered by the former pitched tunes. _Was someone trying to play an instrument?_

I pressed my finger in my ear and shook it to try and prevent the noise from entering my skull as I pulled open the flap of Dimitri's tent.

"Hey, Dimitri do you hear that sou—" I stopped still at the entrance of his residence and did everything I could to keep my eyes from popping out of my head. "Oh. My. God. Is that a.."

I pointed to the unexpected object in a frozen Dimitri's lap. One hand was holding a small bow, the other steadying the wooden boat-shaped instrument against his thigh. "Are you playing the rebec?!"

"I...I was..." his voice trailed off as he remained still as a statue on his bed, the only movement coming from his eyes darting around helplessly.

A gust of air fluttered through my tight lips followed by bouts of laughter. Dimitri's brow scrunched in disapproval and his hands sank to his side. "It helps me relax. I've been trying to learn for a while, but it's more difficult than one would think."

My laughter only increased at his admission and I folded over as I took a few steps into the tented room.

"Now you're just being ridiculous," his voice was what an eye roll would sound like. "It's not that funny."

" _I'm_ ridiculous," I cackled. "Have you any idea what you look like right now? Oh man, this is too good. Wait until Mason and Eddie hear about this."

"Plenty of people play instruments," the frustrated Guardian defended.

"Yeah, plenty of saps and gowls," I jested, standing in front of him.

He let out an irritated huff and stood up to meet my amused expression. The giant foreigner opened his mouth to no doubt dispute my badgering, but I used the moment of distraction to my advantage. I snatched the stringed instrument from his hand and moved away from him.

"How does this tiny thing even fit in your hands," I questioned as I examined it, Dimitri cautiously moving towards me. "You must go through at least ten of these a week."

"Rose," he warned, only spurring me on more. I looked up just as he was reaching for the rebec and pulled it behind my back out of his reach.

"Worried I might damage your precious little trifle, Lady Belikov? How will the men ever swoon if you're left without your musical talents?"

He let out another annoyed grunt at my unabashed laughter and fed up with my teasing, he lunged at me. His long arm stretched around my back as I tried to turn away again and his fingers latched around my wrist that bared the instrument.

"Careful now, you might accidentally play a decent note with that grab," I taunted while we shuffled around, each trying to get the other off as my laughter bounced between us. Then suddenly, he stopped moving altogether.

My head snapped up, worried that I might have finally caused him to lose it and expecting a fierce look to be waiting for me. However, his face was collected and calm with a hint of the amusement I had been flashing. With one of my arms pinned behind me and my back bowed in an arc, my chest was pressed firmly up against his. I was suddenly acutely aware that his tunic was untied, leaving his tanned, sculpted muscles exposed. My eyes flicked down to them, the sight momentarily causing my heart to race. The way his body was intricately carved, I was surprised to find that he didn't feel like stone. Warmth radiated off of him as if he was made of molten fire and my cheeks instantly felt hot.

I slowly looked back up to find Dimitri's gaze waiting for me, a wolfish smile growing on his lips the longer my gaze lingered. I couldn't help but stare at the curve of his jaw as that grin grew and I had the sudden urge to reach up and run my fingers along it. _What a strange thing to want_. Dimitri craned his head down at a painstakingly slow pace until it was level with mine and rather than speed up this time, my heart almost stopped.

When his lips were only a breath away from mine, his deep voice hummed, "If you wanted to get close to me again Marshall, you didn't need to hide under the guise of stealing my things."

Instinctively, I frowned at his self-assured remark and with my free hand, I pushed away from him. I loosened my hold on his rebec and let it fall into his hand as I took a couple extra steps away for good measure. That smirk was still on his face, but faded a little the further I backed away. I cleared my throat and summoned as much seriousness as I could, hoping to hide the former instability his close proximity had caused.

"I can't attend our training tonight," I said without looking directly at him. His tunic was still wide open and I was afraid if I looked at him too long I would do something stupid—like launch at him and rip the remainder of it off.

"Really? And here I thought you just decided to dress up for me tonight." I looked down at my attire having completely forgotten what I was wearing. Dimitri walked over to a small table on the other side of his tent and set down his rebec, sneaking another half-cocked grin at me over his shoulder.

"Hardly," I scoffed. "I have a dinner to attend tonight at the castle. A lord from Inferion has come to visit."

"I know," Dimitri interjected as his hand came up, holding a small beige letter. "Lord Dashkov sent over an invitation last night."

I stood there dumbfounded. Dimitri had been attending some of our council meetings to discuss strategies with our neighboring human kingdoms, but I hadn't expected Victor to invite him to such a formal event.

"Oh. I—of course, it must have slipped my mind," I feigned.

"I was just about to get ready before you barged in to insult me," despite the accuracy of that statement, there was still obvious amusement behind his words.

"Well then. I'll let you get to it. Wouldn't want to be late."

I hastily walked towards the entrance of his tent, still keeping my focus nailed to the ground. "That is unless," his words halted my stride, "you want to stick around and help me get dressed. The buckle of my belt can be a little tricky, it could use assistance from a _lighter_ touch."

I knew he was only trying to get a rise out of me, perhaps payback for my relentless teasing, but the thought of my hands anywhere near Dimitri's hips caused my palms to twitch. I gulped and curled my hands into fists to banish that yearning tingle radiating from them. I straightened up and turned my torso towards him. "In that case, after participating in more _delicate_ exercises on that rebec tonight you should have no problem fastening it yourself."

That saucy comment earned me a chuckle and I couldn't help but crack a smile as I headed out of his tent.

/

"Stop fidgeting," I mumbled out of the side of my mouth, keeping my focus straight ahead.

Lissa's hands immediately dropped to her side, releasing the piece of her dress she had been nervously twiddling. "I can't help it. I'm so nervous."

"Don't be nervous, Liss. Everything's going to be fine." The grand hall was illuminated with an absurd number of candles secured by steel chandeliers and sconces that seemed to line every square inch of the room. Banners with the Dragomir sigil draped the walls and matching runners laid across the floor adding an unusual amount of color to the normally plain scenery. I knew the dark stones and high ceilings of the Dragomir castle could come off as intimidating to visitors, but looking around I thought maybe Victor had gone a little overboard trying to impress this young Lord.

"Besides," I added, "if he was able to stand an entire week of Natalie's chattering, he's either a total pushover or a saint."

My sister's lips cracked into a smile and she tilted her head down to hide the small amused breath that puffed out. We stood a little taller than the rest of the room on the throne platform with the ceremonial chair sitting empty behind us. It had been years since anyone sat in it, no one really felt comfortable doing so since Eric died. It was now neatly polished and pristine looking for the spectators of the room, but I'm not sure if Lissa would ever feel complacent enough to take our father's place in that seat.

A bellowing voice called from the entrance of the room, snapping Lissa's attention back up and causing her nervousness to instantly reappear. "Introducing the Grand Duke of Inferion, Lord Ozera."

I reached over and wrapped my hand around hers, giving it an encouraging squeeze. She took a calming inhale and washed the anxiety from her expression, revealing the regal stature that she had skillfully mastered.

My eyes darted around the room, glancing over the other attendees from the kingdom as they convened to greet our visitor. There were plenty of familiar faces lining the room, including several of the palace Guardians, but I had yet to land on one particular patron I had been searching for. When the crowd's faces simultaneously turned towards the entrance of the room, I followed suit in anticipation of Lord Ozera's entrance.

A couple of Guardians adorned in black and red armor strolled into the room, followed by a tall Moroi gentleman. His raven hair was tousled like he hadn't even bothered to brush it and his stern expression told me this was probably the last place he wanted to be. He spared sidelong glances towards the rows of townsfolk as he passed them by but didn't even bother to hide his scowl at those who bowed and curtsied.

That hardened demeanor sent a pang of worry through me that maybe Natalie had been mistaken. Maybe this guy wasn't as she had described and was actually coarse and unfeeling. If that were the case, then in order to get to Lissa he'd have to trample over my dead body; which was highly unlikely since I was absolutely certain I could take him and those overdressed guards with my eyes closed.

Once the armored Guardians approached they gave a short bow to our party before splitting off to the side. Lord Ozera walked between them and greeted Victor with a handshake.

"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Ozera. We are most pleased to have you join us," Victor politely spoke.

Lord Ozera nodded his head, still looking completely bored out of his mind and dryly replied, "Thank you for having me, Lord Dashkov. Lady Dashkov, it is lovely to see you again." Perched on the other side of Victor, Natalie gave him a quick curtsy and a smile, even though the broody Moroi's voice sounded anything but happy to see her and his icy blue eyes held a cold bite.

Victor lifted his arm and gestured towards his right where Lissa and I stood. "And may I present the heir of St. Vladimir's, her Royal Highness Princess Vasilisa Dragomir and the protector of our kingdom her sister Princess Rose Hathaway."

That was our cue to curtsy and even though the last thing I wanted to do was show this brat respect, we obliged. Simultaneously, we both dipped down low to the ground pulling the edges of our dresses up to the side, and as we came back up the Lord's eyes finally rolled towards us. He looked about ready to let out an agitated sigh when his breath caught short. Those pale blue orbs widened and examined us with apparent interest.

I knew the lower cut of my dress was likely to attract most men's attention, but surprisingly his focus was fixed on my face rather than my chest. He studied me for a moment curiously, as if he was trying to multiply 13 by 485 in his head, then his gaze turned towards Lissa and his entire expression softened.

The chill from his eyes melted under her warm glow and he became entranced as he stood before her. His mouth opened to say something, hung there for an instant, then closed with a snap and he straightened out the imaginary wrinkles of his tunic. He took a few steps towards us and with a deep bow, spoke more softly this time. "Princess Hathaway, Princess Dragomir, it is a pleasure to meet you both."

Although he spoke both our names, his gaze didn't move even the slightest from Lissa.

"The pleasure is ours, Lord Ozera," Lissa eagerly replied. "We're so glad you could take the time to visit our kingdom."

I was surprised by the confidence in her voice and spared a glance at her out of the corner of my eye. To my even greater shock, she was _smiling_. Not just a polite smile you give to bratty strangers out of courtesy, but a true, genuine smile that seemed to light up her already angelic face. _What the hell?_

I looked back over to Lord Ozera and gave him another once over. I guess one could consider him handsome, if they were into the scrawny, broody type.

"Please Your Highness, call me Christian." He reached out a hand to her and she filled it with her own, her cheeks lightly flushing as their skin made contact. _What on earth had Natalie put in that wine?_

Lissa gracefully stepped down the small steps to stand next to Christian and he placed her hand on the crook of his arm. They were still an appropriate distance away from each other, possibly even more than needed to be considered appropriate, but that small point of contact made my stomach churn.

The crowd began to disperse and mingle as everyone started to enjoy the festivities, but I couldn't take my eyes off Lissa. After they moved a few steps away, I hopped down from the platform and weaved my way through our kingsmen, keeping my focus pointed in their direction. They paused in the center of the room and began casually chatting, so I stood off to the side where I could maintain a good view.

There was no more touching after that, but every once in awhile Lissa would look up at him shyly, or flirtatiously brush a piece of her hair over her shoulder. I couldn't believe my eyes. Was she seriously falling for this lat of shite?

"Spying again? Why am I not surprised," his accented voice crept up from behind me.

"It's not spying when you are visibly out in public," I dryly responded without turning my head, although every part of me seemed to be pulling towards Dimitri.

"That was quite the curtsy you displayed up there," he moved to stand beside me. "And here I thought warriors were above that sort of trivial ceremony bullshit. You must have had an exceptional tutor."

Just as before, I knew he was only trying to get a rise out of me and nothing he said really held any veracity. Cocking an eyebrow, I met his teasing tone. "It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's entirely another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time."

"Is that so," the surprised amusement in his voice finally caused me to turn and face him.

"Care to test that theory, Coimheach?"

A quick laugh with two beats was his only response.

I took a moment to give him a once over and leaned back with my arms crossed as I admired his attire. "Well, I see you managed to successfully fasten your trousers. You almost look presentable."

He was wearing a black tunic with a dark grey vest over it, another one of those red phoenix emblems blazed onto the left breast. His long hair was pulled back and tied at his neck, but there were a couple loose pieces that seemed resilient to stay in place. I couldn't help but think how incredibly good-looking he was when he was put together like this, and judging by the beguiled glances shooting in his direction from the majority of the ladies in this room, it was obvious I wasn't alone.

"You don't look so bad yourself Marshall." The comment was flippant and could barely be classified as a compliment, but the way he gazed at me as he said it caused my flesh to burn. Every point of my body his eyes landed on I felt like hot embers exquisitely seared me.

"Ehem, well I aim to please," I shook off his intense stare and brought my attention back to Lissa and Lord Ozera.

They were still chatting across the room. Christian's demeanor remained relatively pleasant—well, compared to when he entered the grand hall—but the reminder of that former scowl he bore still had me on edge.

"So, how often does Lord Dashkov hold these events," Dimitri curiously asked.

"Huh? Oh, um I don't know. Every so often I guess," I responded absent-mindedly.

"And are they always this grandiose?"

I briefly wondered why he was so interested in engaging in meaningless small talk with me—I highly doubted he really gave two shits about the decor of this room. What was next, a brief commentary on the weather? Then I suddenly realized what he was doing.

"Belikov, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to distract me." I turned my attention back to him and he leaned down towards me with a sly smile.

"Why? Do you need distracting?"

There was definitely double-meaning behind that question. He was really laying it on thick tonight.

"No. Of course not. Why would I," I defended.

"Are you sure," he took a step in front of me, deftly blocking my view of my sister. "Because if so, I might be obliged to indulge in a dance with you."

I was about to move him out of my line of sight, but that statement stopped my movements cold.

"Wh-what?"

"What's the matter, Rose? Don't you know how?"

I swallowed trying to find my voice but was distracted by the thought of Dimitri's rough hands intertwined with mine and my body at his mercy as he guided me along to a sweet melody.

"I—of course I do," I managed to stammer out. "It's just that…" My voice trickled again and I tried to look away from him to gain some sense of composure, but my eyes were glued to his face as he patiently waited for my response.

"It's just that there probably won't be any tonight. Dancing that is." Dimitri raised an eyebrow and cast a look over to a group of musicians who were setting up in the corner before landing back on me with speculation.

"I mean there will be. Just not for us," I clarified. "We'll most likely adjourn to the east hall to privately dine with Lord Ozera. Victor will want us to get to know him in a more intimate setting while the others entertain themselves."

After an agonizing moment of silence, Dimitri arched down so that we were at eye-level and gave me another once over that caused a feeling of tingling spiders racing across my skin.

"Shame," he breathed out, fixing my gaze with his. There was something in those brown orbs that held more than playfulness. His mouth curled into a mischievous smile and I suddenly found it hard to breathe. It was maddening how disarmed those small gestures made me feel.

When he stood back up, putting a comfortable amount of space between us, a gust of air exited my lungs. "I'll leave you to your spying then. See you at dinner, Marshall."

He took a few steps away, that smile and those eyes holding me for one last lingering moment, then turned around and headed off into the crowd.

/

Dinner started not long after and as expected, Victor called us to the east hall that was also extravagantly adorned with Dragomir banners and an overabundance of lighting. Victor went around the table, introducing some of the other council members, a few Moroi close to the Dragomir family that had resided in our kingdom for as long as I could remember. However, I got the feeling Victor was saving the best for last, more or less, when he introduced Dimitri under his full title— _Sir Dimitri Belikov, formerly of the Knights of the Varangian Guard and a protector of St. Vladimir's Valley_. It sounded so pretentious, really.

"Ah, yes," Christian turned to face Dimitri in his seat. "I have heard of you, Sir Belikov. I'm happy to finally put a face to the name."

Dimitri dipped his head respectfully and opened his mouth to reply, but Victor seemed hellbent on doing that for him.

"Sir Belikov has graciously accepted our invitation to join our ranks and is now serving as a valuable member of our council. It is no surprise that his valliant reputation has reached your noble kingdom of Inferion, Lord Ozera."

Victor's endgame suddenly became painfully obvious, including the reason for inviting Dimitri to this charade. He was pulling out all the strings to impress this young lord and a former member of the Varangian Guard was just one shiny object on a wide pedestal of devices to make us appear worthy, though I wasn't entirely sure why. It's not like our options were _that_ limited as far as suitors for Lissa. She was the last true Dragomir heir after all.

"We have learned a great deal from him in regards to our relations with the surrounding human communities. His experience with similar alliances and even Vikings have proven to be extremely beneficial, and he has even gone as far as to enlighten some of our newly recruited troops with more modern combat techniques."

Dimitri shifted in his seat uncomfortably under Victor's high praise and cast me a sidelong glance. "I'm sure Marshall Hathaway could speak more to that than I, Lord Dashkov. She is very dedicated when it comes to strengthening our forces."

Victor took a large sip of his port and set the cup down before grandly gesturing skyward with his hands. "Of course. Rose has many outstanding strengths," it didn't go unnoticed that he used my nickname rather than my official title as he had with Dimitri. "Shaping the fierce skills of our warriors being one of her strongest, but I wouldn't say that diplomacy has readily been an asset of hers."

It was meant to be a playful joke, the light chuckles around the table confirming as much, but I suddenly felt like I was being cast aside.

An all-knowing look formed on the raven-haired Moroi's expression before he responded to Victor. "That may be so, and I mean no offense to his reputation, but I have actually heard of Guardian Belikov through my aunt, Natasha." Christian turned to address Dimitri again. "When she traveled to the Novgorod court to study politics of the Rus Empire, she said the two of you became quite good friends. She speaks very highly of you."

A gentle smile that would normally pique my interest crept up Dimitri's mouth but as he spoke that look caused a stirring in me that I couldn't quite place, and I suddenly felt extremely annoyed. "Tasha is an impressive woman. We tried to keep in touch when she returned to your kingdom, but I'll admit it has been quite some time since we've written to one another. How is she?"

"Oh she's great," Natalie cut in as if she had known the woman her entire life. She started to spout out a narration of some of their interactions and I had to focus on the sound of my teeth grinding together to maintain my composure.

The conversation about Christian's "impressive" aunt drolled on for a while until Victor saw an opportunity to steer it back to our dinner table.

"Lord Ozera, my daughter tells me that you and several other Moroi in your kingdom have been known to engage in combat against enemy attacks."

The blue-eyed Moroi took a sip of his wine and cleared his throat before responding. "Yes, Lord Dashkov. Inferion prides itself on the unity between Dhampir and Moroi not only in matrimony, but in battle as well."

I looked the young lord over, examining him for any signs of combat training, but one peek at his perfectly unmarred hands had me suppressing a scoff.

Sensing an opening, I finally decided to speak. "Interesting, Lord Ozera. And how many of these _battles_ would you say you've participated in?"

Victor shot me a sharp look that told me to behave, no doubt sensing the disapproval in my tone, but the others didn't seem to regard it as anything other than genuine interest.

"I would expect not nearly as many as you, Marshall and please, call me Christian." he responded with a tilt of his head. "Natalie has told me about your accomplishments in battle. I'll admit you are not quite what I pictured after hearing her wide tales." I could hear a small chortle come from Natalie at the other end of the table, but was in no way as amused as she was by what the pompous boy was saying.

"I assure you _Lord Ozera_ ," I glared down at him, "my accomplishments in the field are anything but 'tales'."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dimitri trying his best to hide a simper as he brought his tankard up to his mouth.

"Noted," Christian dryly replied with a discreet eye roll.

"I think it is courageous that you choose to fight alongside your troops. I have always admired Rose for it, but a Moroi putting themselves in that situation is very noble." Lissa's sweet voice was normally an anchor that steadied my rising temper, but hearing her praise that spoiled prick only fueled my anger.

"Yeah, it's pretty brave of you to sit safely on the sidelines while you watch your men run out into the face of danger. They should give you some kind of award."

Victor opened his mouth to no doubt admonish me, but Christian beat him to it. "Well as long as they're handing them out, maybe you should get one for overbearing bitchiness. I think everyone here could agree you'd be a top contender."

Natalie let out an audible snort, spewing a bit of her wine in the process and Lissa went rigid in her seat.

 _Who the fuck did this guy think he was?!_

"Listen here you spoiled, cocky, piece of—"

"Rose!" Victor's voice seemed to hold enough power to knock down the stone walls of the room while still remaining at a volume appropriate for a dinner party. My words halted at his objection, but my glare was still firmly fixed on the little twat across the table. His hand was wrapped around the iron cup, and I could have sworn the metal was starting to turn a dark, glowing red.

"I apologize, Lord Ozera. Marshall Hathaway has had a lot on her mind the past few weeks in regards to our military strategy." The fact that he was apologizing for me was frustrating in of itself but as his eyes darted over to me, his next words threw my emotions into a complete tailspin. "She seems to have forgotten her manners...along with her place."

If I didn't already know that a roast pig was being served, the way Victor bit down on each one of those words I would've thought we were having a dose of patronizing elitism for dinner.

Without another word I abruptly stood up from my seat—the wood against stone making an intrusive screeching sound—and stormed out of the room, not bothering to bid farewells to the other guests at the table.

I couldn't have been more than five feet from the dining hall when I was stopped. "Rosemarie."

I'd grown up learning that people only really used my full name when they either had no idea who I was, or were seriously pissed at me. Unfortunately, this was the latter.

I considered ignoring the call but instead, slowly turned around to meet Victor's furious face. "Care to explain where this hostility is coming from?"

His voice was calm, but I could still hear the underlying anger that rarely reared its head. If you asked anyone who knew him, they would tell you Victor was the epitome of collected, but I had the natural ability to fluster even the most composed men.

"I'm not sure what you and Natalie were thinking when you invited him here. He's not right for Lissa," I shot back.

"Well unfortunately, that isn't for you to decide."

"Oh, but it is for you? You keep saying you know what's best for us, but clearly, you don't if _that's_ the kind of prima donna, ballbeg you've scraped up for her."

Victor held up a finger in warning, but the lid to my control had blown off back in the dining hall and there was no stopping my words from spewing out.

"And what was all of that about with Dimitri? He's not some trophy for you to show off, he's a man. A man within _my_ charge. Is that why you asked him to St. Vlad's in the first place? To make us look better in front of potential suitors? Here I thought it was to help the transition with my troops when I had to step aside, or was that all a ruse as well?"

"That's enough!" Victor's calm had completely flown out the window. "I won't stand to hear another word of your disrespect. You were not raised to act like a rabid animal. Mouthing off to your elders, insulting an invited guest. What would your parents think if they could see you acting this way?"

That question stopped any rebukes I had ready to fire back.

"There are people in there who respect you, my daughter and the princess included, and for you to fly off the handle like this unprovoked. What kind of message do you think that sends?"

I couldn't speak. Words jumbled around in my head, but none could come together to form a proper response as his deep green stare penetrated me.

"I am so disappointed in you Rose. Rhea and Eric would be too." And with that last cold castigation, he turned and headed back into the dining hall.

I stood there for a moment hearing his fading voice call out to the room, "I'm so sorry about that. Now, who's hungry?"

My jaw twitched and my eyes pricked as I tried to fight back tears. When I realized it was useless, I bolted from the hall and straight back to my room, locking myself in for the remainder of the evening and burying my face into my pillow, letting shame and loneliness completely wash over me.

* * *

 **A/N:** Phew, a lot of stuff jammed into this one but I really needed to cover a bunch before next week's post *get excited*! You all can thank Gaya, the HW Godmother, for Dimitri's (not so) musical talents. Since 80's music and western novels weren't around during this time period we needed some other way for him to have an interest that nobody else cares about lol.

And yes, Christian has finally arrived! He's one of my favorite characters from the VA series (mainly bc of his banter with Rose) and I'm super pumped to finally be writing him again. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter :)

 **Translations:**

eat chips from yer nickers - performing oral sex on a woman

Saps - wuss, mama's boy, wimp

Gowls - pussy

Lat of shite - lot of lies aka bullshit


	15. Chapter 15

**Part 1 Chapter 15**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs:** Tired as Fuck by The Staves, I'm in Here by Sia, Cocoon by Marty O'Reilly & The Old Soul Orchestra, Movement by Hozier

I sat up, finally relenting on feeling sorry for myself. It had been a long time since I'd cried like that, but the thought of the Dragomirs being ashamed of me was the tipping point to my resolve.

I could hear the first signs of a storm rolling in and could only assume our guests had started to make their way home before it came down. I ran my hands through my hair, setting it free from the intricate braid Lissa had put it in for me. In the end, there had been no point in dressing me up. With my outburst, I might as well have just gone in my normal clothes. At least then Victor might not have been so caught off guard by my hostile reactions.

I couldn't remember ever seeing him so furious, not even when Natalie and I had gotten into some of most notorious antics. I didn't understand why he had suddenly acted so uncharacteristically. Maybe he was under more pressure than I initially thought.

Suddenly a light knocking at my door propelled me out of bed. I snatched a robe off the back of my wooden chair and slung it over my nightgown in case it was a male member of the staff. I hoped it wasn't someone coming to tell me Victor was waiting to speak with me. As much as we needed to clear the air, I wasn't quite ready to see him again.

"Rose," a sweet voice called through the door. "It's me. Let me in."

I sighed in relief to hear Lissa on the other side of the wooden barrier and creaked it open just enough for her to slip in. When it was shut I turned around to face her, expecting a condoling or even sympathizing look to be waiting for me but instead, there was something less familiar resting on her features. She looked almost...angry, and I felt as much through the bond. _Had my hunch about Christian been right? Maybe without me around to watch her back he had finally reverted back to that glowering state I had seen before._ A million scenarios raced through my head and my blood started to boil.

"What did he do," I asked, moving closer to her.

She crossed her arms around her waist, a confused look slightly contorting that earlier animosity. "He?"

"Lord Ozera," I clarified as I reached towards her, looking her up and down for any signs of a scuffle. "Did he do something to hurt you? I swear to Vlad, I'll—"

"What did HE do?!" Her voice grew louder, her eyes widening with it. "It's not what he did Rose. It's what _you_ did."

I took a step back, dropping my arm as her words blanched me.

"Christian was a perfect gentleman. He was kind and charming and didn't treat me like some pariah that most people do. Natalie's told me about the rumors that have spread about me to the other kingdoms. They may not all know about Spirit, but they know something is off with me and they aren't afraid to express that to their kinsmen."

"There's nothing off about you Liss," I softly defended.

She held up her hand, closing her eyes for a brief moment before continuing. "He's been through more than you could even know and I understand we just met but I feel like he gets me."

I couldn't believe what she was saying. She was right, she _had_ just met him. "You don't know him, Lissa. For all we know, he's still a stranger."

"No, Rose." She bitterly cut in. "That's all _you_ know. Because instead of taking the chance to get to know even a little about him, you immediately made up your mind that you were going to hate him."

"He was a prick, Liss! A sarcastic, demeaning—"

"Only because he was reacting to you! You just had to make a scene. You couldn't just hold your tongue for a little while and let me try to make up my own mind about him without interfering."

"I—I care about you, Liss. I want what's best for you." I meant it to sound genuine and soothing to hopefully abate some of the dark, ugly feelings rising through the bond, but I couldn't help but think how much like Victor those words sounded.

"Don't even try to turn this around on me," she spat back. "We both know you were only thinking of yourself tonight."

Some of those dark feelings crawling around in her started to seep into me, and my voice rose to meet her volume. "Thinking of myself? In case you forgot, I NEVER get to think for myself, Lissa." I emphasized pointing to my head.

I knew bringing up the side-effects of the bond was a low blow, but something else was guiding my angry thoughts and pushing aside simple reasoning.

"I'm sorry that saving your life has brought such a burden on you Rose," she raised her arms dramatically. "It's not like I enjoy someone snooping around in my head all the time either. But maybe if you would have actually done so tonight, you wouldn't have acted like a raging bitch!"

"Look who's talking princess. It's not like I asked you to come here. I was actually enjoying my privacy before you showed up flying off the fucking handle."

Her voice became quiet but deadly serious, her eyes narrowing in a tight stare. "Well, in that case, I'll leave you alone. It will be good practice for you because if you keep acting like this that's exactly what you'll be for the rest of your life... _alone_."

My throat became tight, but I refused to let her see how much that last insult stung. I matched her steely glare as she marched out the door, her pale hair whipping by in an illustrious fury. As soon as it slammed shut a gust of air flew out of my mouth and my hands shot to my knees as I bent over. I felt like whatever dark force had been propelling me to engage with her quickly dissipated and the only feelings I was left with were ones of loneliness and regret.

I took a few more deep breaths, inhaling through my nose and exhaling out my mouth, trying to banish any lingering dark thoughts. The rain had picked up outside and I eventually straightened up to walk over to my window. Gray and black clouds whirled above. Where the storm would normally provide me comfort and exhilaration, that night it only darkened my already plummeting mood. Became my plummeting mood.

My thoughts whirled as the rain poured down from the sky. Each heavy drop that hit my window was another voice.

 _Drop. "I am so disappointed in you Rose. Rhea and Eric would be too."_

 _Drop. "Maybe you should get one for overbearing bitchiness. I think everyone here could agree you'd be a top contender."_

 _Drop Drop. "Because if you keep acting like this that's exactly what you'll be for the rest of your life...alone_."

I looked further into the distance trying to drown out the phantom insults with something else, anything else. I was so tired of everything around me. My family. My responsibilities. It seemed like no matter what I did, it would never be good enough. I kept skimming over the soaked village, watching everything it had gradually accumulated wash away with the storm. I wanted to capture that feeling and harness it. I wanted all of my worries, all of my doubts to wash away with the rain, even if just for a little while.

My eye finally caught sight of something familiar in the distance and without a second thought I latched onto my cloak and flew out the door. For the first time in a long time, I felt like doing something...reckless.

...

The rain had become heavy, but I didn't care. I had already made up my mind and there was no turning back. I pulled my hood tightly over the crown of my head and marched forward into the dark night—the flashes of lightning my only guide through the camp. Once I approached his tent, I didn't even hesitate. I barged through it, pushing the flap around me and letting the spray from outside momentarily follow me in.

I hadn't really considered what he would be doing at this hour or what kind of setting I would stumble upon. The obvious scenarios would be him lying in bed asleep or possibly sitting at the edge with a half drunken bottle of wine in his hands, but as I stood at the opening of his tent the scene that lied before me caused my body to freeze in place and all my former confidence to completely abandon me.

He was seated at his desk hovering over a pale parchment, and he was… _smiling_. Not one of his sarcastic smirks or cocky grins, or even one of those polite, tight-lipped smiles that he put on for Victor and Lissa. No. This was a full-fledged smile that could only be brought on by something resembling pure joy, or maybe contentment.

The only way I could think to describe the look on his face was _beautiful_. I had never been more drawn to anything before that very moment.

It was as if a star had fallen from the sky and landed onto that small wooden table, yielding all of its glow to Dimitri's serene expression. A sliver of light in the otherwise inky sky.

The storm must have covered up the sound of my entrance because I managed to stand in place, dumbfounded at the sight of him for a few moments before he even noticed I was there. Once he did, he abruptly stood up, dropping the parchment onto his desk. "Rose. What are you doing here?"

The light faded. A confused look now resting in its place. I was speechless for a moment, the memory of that smile still stunning all of my reflexes and senses. When I finally managed to muster something out, it was in no way part of anything I had planned.

"What were you reading," it came out harsher than I had meant it to in my attempt to cover up those building emotions still fluttering around within me.

"A letter from my family. I—I haven't heard from them in a while." He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, though I'm not sure why. There was no shame in indulging in a memorandum from his family; especially, since from what he'd told me, he was much closer to his than I was with my estranged mother.

Although it was nice for a change to not be the flustered one in these awkward conversations we sometimes found ourselves in, I realized the edgy note to my voice might have caused his uncharacteristic reaction and smoothed out my tone.

"I'm sorry for interrupting. I just wanted to uh…" my voice trailed off as I tried to think of a reason or excuse for being there. I needed to borrow one of his pointless books? I wanted to hear him play that damn rebic again? Anything other than the truth.

"Is it about earlier tonight? At the dinner," his low voice was unreadable.

I was momentarily surprised that he knew without a second guess why I had come. I had been trying to deny it for a while now, but in moments like these it was impossible to dispute that Dimitri knew me better than I could have ever imagined for someone I had only recently met. I wasn't sure what his thoughts were on my reaction at the dinner though, so I opted for saucy with a dash of discontent. "Let me guess, you think I was out of place too and should have kept my dishonorable trap shut."

"That's not what I was thinking." The response was immediate and serious, despite the slight flippancy in my remark. I pulled my cloak tighter around me and stayed quiet, hoping my silence would cause him to elaborate as it had in the past.

"You were standing up for yourself. Victor was the one who was wrong." Again, the severity in his tone threw me off and I was finding it hard to focus.

"You—you don't think what I did was shameful?"

"No."

A glimmer of his signature grin began to inch up the corner of his mouth as he moved away from the wooden desk. "If Lord Ozera is the warrior he has claimed to be, I'm sure he can handle a few insults thrown at him. I doubt any real damage was done."

I let out a small laugh, thinking about the rancorous talk that went on at camp and out in the field. He was right, if that self-proclaimed Moroi warrior had been anywhere near a battlefield like he said, then my outburst would be nothing but a small sting in comparison.

"Besides, Victor is the one who should be ashamed." His weighty tone was back, but with a hint of something I could only construe as aversion. "Casting you aside like that when he should be praising you for all that you have done to keep this kingdom safe and unified."

Dimitri began pacing back and forth, his hands roughly brushing through his loose hair as he looked around wildly. "You're absolutely remarkable and I can't stand that he would rather make a mockery of you just to show off in front of some Royal Moroi. And the audacity...to say you need to learn your place?" He whipped around to face me, his words deliberate and penetrating. "The only place for you among men is standing valiantly with them kneeling at your feet."

I remained speechless, unable to do anything but stare at the enraged Dhampir defending me against his ruler. Something that no one else had ever done. Not even Lissa, my sister, my best friend, the one person I had always counted on to have my back, even in the confines of our quarters away from our admonisher's ears. The weight of his advocacy was equally suffocating as it was freeing.

With only a small pause, he continued on his tirade. "I should have said something. I should have stood up for you at dinner and told them exactly what—"

"Shut up." My words were quiet but held an intensity that surprised us both.

"What," he looked over to me slightly confused, most likely wondering if he had even heard me correctly.

I marched towards him purposedly until I was standing within mere inches of him. "Just shut up, Dimitri."

Then without any other explanation, I reached up and pulled his mouth against mine.

He didn't hesitate like one would expect when you caught them off guard. Instead, he immediately pulled me closer and locked his hands around me as if this was exactly what he had been waiting for. _For how long_ , I wondered. But soon those thoughts were lost in the feel of Dimitri's body pressed against mine, the taste of his tongue along my lips, and the sounds of the raging storm driving us further and further together.

One of his hands moved from its tight hold on my waist to encircle the back of my neck, his long fingers curling into my hair. A soft hum echoed between our lips as his hand sunk deeper into my dark waves and I immediately learned how much he reveled in it. I had caught him glancing at it before and noticed the few times he had reached up to touch it there was a sense of wanting flickering behind his eyes. But now that he was free to pursue it, he was taking full advantage.

If he was this affected by something as simple as my hair, I wondered how he would react to something more.

The thought of unnerving him brought a smile to my lips and I loosened my grip around his neck, allowing my cloak to fall off my shoulders. The material grazing the knuckles of his hand still on my lower back caused him to move away half an inch to get a look at what it was. I hadn't bothered changing out of my nightgown before racing over here, which was basically a thin, translucent garment that left little to the imagination. I remembered a time when he said he was more interested by what was under my clothes, and by the look on Dimitri's face, it appeared I had exceeded his expectations.

His eyes slowly widened as they skimmed over my body, a heavy swallow causing his Adam's apple to slide up and down his throat. He delicately ran the back of his hands along my bare shoulders and arms, down my waist, across my stomach, all the while his gaze fixed on every point he touched. He moved as if he were holding onto something precious. Something that would easily break under his strong hands if he wasn't careful to control their grasp.

When his eyes finally made their way back up, there was a look spread across his features that was almost...worshiping. I had seen him several times in church and not once had I ever witnessed anything remotely as devout as the way he looked at me under the dim light of his quarters. I was in awe. And for a moment, I had an irrational thought of how I wanted him to look at me that way forever. But not a moment later, that look quickly morphed into something more hungry and those touches were the last gentle movement between us.

I attacked his mouth with mine and allowed him to bring us closer until there was no longer any space between us. Those hands that had moved with such careful ease latched onto my thighs so roughly I was sure the evidence of where they were embedded would still be there in the morning. His towering height was becoming a hindrance of my aggressive intentions but as if reading my thoughts, he lifted me up and I simultaneously wrapped my legs around him, squeezing onto his waist with the same gripping ferocity as he held on me.

We became engulfed in one another, reading each other's desires and responding with heady requests of our own in complete synchronization. Dimitri entangled his tongue with mine and I gripped onto his shirt to hold my body in place. A small nip against my bottom lip spurred me on further and I ripped his shirt completely open with one swift yank. My hands fervently roamed his exposed skin as I rolled my hips against his. He was warm—so warm, despite the cold air outside now audibly beating against his tent.

His body was nothing like I had ever felt. Like caramel melted over iron. Strong, sturdy, and hard in all the right places surrounded by rich, smooth skin that I wanted to devour. I moved my mouth to his neck, wanting a taste and trailed open mouth kisses as my hands roughly scraped down his chest. A small hiss escaped between his teeth, followed by another deep sound that came out as a cross between a groan and a growl as he whipped us around. The next sound I heard resembled a tear and before I knew what had happened, where my gown had been Dimitri's mouth began to selfishly consume.

His hands gripped my ass and moved my core up against his groin, showing me exactly what my maneuvers were doing to him and silently promising to show me what his could do to me. That small taste of what lay beneath the fabric of his trousers sent my body into a frenzy. I reached between us to unhook his belt and used my scrambling feet to tug his pants down. Once they hit the floor, I leaned over him causing his balance to slightly bend backward, and wordlessly commanded him to move down to the bed. Like a good soldier, he immediately obeyed.

As we landed I pulled the remnants of my gown over my head and tossed it aside. The storm was raging now and a bang of thunder rumbled through the tent. Neither of us were affected by its deafening fury, though. It was as if the storm was driving us forward. Like we had become the storm.

Lightning cracked as Dimitri pulled me hard, down into his lap where his earlier promise was waiting for me. I let out a sharp yelp in response, my heart jumping from excitement to relief as he filled me completely. White streaks rippled across the sky as my hips rolled over his. Wind howled around us while our heady breaths fought to fill up our lungs. Another boom of thunder erupted and Dimitri clutched me tighter, pressing himself deeper and deeper inside me. My head fell back and Dimitri's teeth latched onto my neck, exquisitely grazing my skin as he pushed us forward even further.

My body began to fall back with my head, but his hands were there to keep me in place. I always held on to the concept that I never needed anyone. That losing control meant I lost myself. But as Dimitri's strong arms wrapped around me, I finally admitted in that moment that I needed him. I needed this. For the first time, I felt free enough to let go. I allowed myself to fall completely under his control and closed my eyes as our bodies moved to the rhythm of the storm.

His movements were sharp and rough, sending jolts of ecstasy through my entire body. I didn't want nice. I didn't want soft. And Dimitri seemed to know exactly what I wanted. My frustration from the evening slipped away with each thrust, filling me up with another feeling altogether. As I neared the edge, on the verge of either combustion or passing out, I screamed out Dimitri's name, granting him the praise that he undoubtedly deserved. He pulled me close again and buried his face in my hair as his incoherent cries muffled against my neck and our bodies shook with overwhelming delirium.

It was over almost as quickly as it had started, but it was more thrilling, rapturous, and fucking hotter than anything I'd even come close to experiencing. Dimitri held on to me for a moment as our frantic chests heaved in an identical rhythm. I could feel his heart banging against mine, and in that moment I had never felt so close to another human being.

Upon realizing where my thoughts were leading and that I had already achieved what I had come here to do, my eyes shot open and my listless limbs slowly started to come back to life. Feeling me start to stir, Dimitri pulled back enough for me to wriggle out of his hold and I shakily rose from his lap. He fell back onto his elbows, his breaths still rolling through him in deep, heaving waves. He looked so incredibly sexy with his hair disheveled and an almost boyish, euphoric look taking over his features, I had to physically force myself to look away before I launched at him in an attempt to devour his entire body.

The feeling in my legs was starting to come back and I leaned down towards the remnants of my nightgown. I held it up but realizing there was nothing to salvage I cursed under my breath and tossed it to the side. I had half a mind to berate him for being so careless with my clothes, but one quick glance at his torn tunic adjacent to my garment kept my mouth shut. I was a lot of things, but I'd like to think a hypocrite wasn't one of them.

I walked towards my discarded cloak and began to shake it out.

"What are you doing," Dimitri's gruff voice tempted me to turn around, but I kept my focus away from him to avoid further temptation.

"It's—it's best if I leave," I began, trying to find my own voice along with my confidence. I heard his bed creek behind me and assumed he was starting to sit up, so I rushed through my explanation to keep him away. "This was just a one-time thing. A way for us to let out some frustrations. I don't want either of us developing feelings when we both know this was nothing more than a release. There's no need to stick around and risk being seen by any of the other troops. It would be unprofessional for me and cause a shit load of problems."

I had about ten other excuses lying in wait to convince us both that I needed to get away, but his intoxicating accent cut me off.

"I don't care about any of that."

My face darted over to his reflexively, unable to resist the pull his words still had on me. I expected to find annoyance, or maybe even resentment for using him like this, but what I found was a wolfish grin that almost sent me to my knees.

Dimitri's arm reached out and pulled me to him, causing the cloak to fall from my hands and latched my naked body to his again.

"I'm not done with you yet Roza."

"But we—" I started to dispute as he fell back and rolled us onto the bed, deftly landing on top of me so I was forced to look straight into his warm, brown eyes.

Those eyes that he was so good at closing off were now filled with so many emotions, sending me endless messages that caused my breath to hitch as I attempted to decipher them all. However, one clear message dominated the rest: I wasn't going anywhere. And if I was being honest with myself, there was nowhere else on earth I wanted to be than under Dimitri Belikov's adoring yet hungry grasp.

He smiled, realizing his victory and gently swept his fingers across my cheeks. Those perfect lips soon followed and moved along my neck and across my breasts, causing my eyes to flutter shut. No more arguments. No more objections. Just a quiet sigh as his head skillfully dipped below the blankets.

...

Later that night I heard a small scuffling sound and groggily lifted my head up. The candle had long since burned out, but my heightened senses gave me enough sight to make out the shapes in the room. I was momentarily afraid someone had stumbled into his tent to find us in our compromised position, but when I looked down I saw a mix of white and gray fur huddled on the ground. Daisy was laying at the front of the tent, curled up to sleep, but her eyes were still alert, focussing on the static flap as the rain continued to come down outside.

As I lay there wrapped in Dimitri's arms with his protective companion watching out for us on the floor, for the first time in a long time I felt completely at ease.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Special shoutout to the HW Godmother for helping me out with this one. These scenes aren't always my forte but she knows how to keep me in line and make sure yall are getting the good stuff and not just a shit ton of fight scenes ;)

Thanks a mil to everyone out there reading. All hail Romitiri!


	16. Chapter 16

**Part 1 Chapter 16**

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: Drown by Marika Hackman**

I laid there still, basking in the feel of her warm skin pressed against my cheek. The storm had finally passed and the only sounds within my tent resonated from our easy breaths. I'm not sure if we ever really slept that night. Just stole brief moments of peaceful rest as we came down from whatever exhilaration our bodies brought us to.

I knew her excuses to leave were valid, not only was she the leader of our regiment, she was a princess. She had responsibilities that in no way involved someone like me. With the state that the current Dragomir line was in, it was imperative that her and Vasilisa work to repair...and replenish it. Not only was I an unworthy candidate for that job, but Dhampir did not have the ability to reproduce with each other. I could never give her the children that her family desperately needed. So I decided if this night was going to be a one-time occurrence, I was going to make the most of it.

Every new part of her I roamed, I was astonished to find that someone so strong could be so incredibly, intoxicatingly soft. Her skin, her hair, her lips. Each piece a new discovery that I dedicated to memory. But what surprised me most wasn't just my explorations, it was the fact that she was letting me perform them. She didn't move to stop me as my palm dragged across her abdomen, as my lips trailed along her hips, as I traced the small spot on the inside of her knee with my thumb. Her skin was silk under my coarse fingers, the small bit of freckles on her leg a map of new places to roam, creating endless destinations to chart.

Her hand snaked into my hair as I rested against her stomach, eliciting a quiet moan in appreciation of her sensuous touch.

As I held her body beneath me, I tried to remember the last time I had experienced something like this. Not the act itself, of course, I had been with other women in the past—some more memorable than others admittedly—but ever since Ivan died I had a hard time finding joy in anything. Those other women were mere distractions from everything else rattling around in my head. An opportunity to feel some sort of companionship and camouflage the loss, no matter how fleeting and most of the time, ineffective it was.

As soon as it was over, that voice in my head would find its way to the surface, dragging me back down into dejected guilt. How was it fair that I allow myself to enjoy life and simple pleasures that came with it when the man that I owed everything to would never get to experience those things again?

Sometimes the thoughts were so maddening, I would do anything to get away from them. I'd hit my lowest point one night with a young Moroi girl that had worked in one of the many taverns I frequented.

I had been trying to find escape at the bottom of a barrel that night, so the events that transpired really should have come to no surprise, but it still didn't lessen the shame I sometimes felt over it. Iskra wasn't like most Moroi women I had met. Her pale skin was accented with straight hair almost as white as the stars, but there was a darkness to her that lied deep below that ethereal surface. It's most likely what drew me to her in the first place.

When she asked if I wanted another drink, I didn't say no. When the drink wasn't drowning out my thoughts as much as I needed, I agreed to take her home. And after dulling ourselves with even more alcohol and the distraction of her naked form still weren't enough I agreed to one more request. I needed to escape him, I needed to escape myself. So when Iskra gently pressed her fangs against my shoulder in a silent question, without a second thought I pulled her down into me, plunging her sharp teeth into my neck.

I was surprised I could even feel any pain at first. I had suffered far greater wounds in the past and with the amount of wine I had consumed I didn't think I'd be able to feel anything. But as soon as that pricking sting arose, it faded away—along with any thought in my head. I was gone. That escape I had been looking for was finally there, and I never wanted it to end. I never wanted to go back. Every good feeling imaginable crashed into me wave after wave, washing away all my doubts and fears. I'm not sure how long she drank from me, but when she pulled back it wasn't enough. I reached up to Iskra's face, begging her to take more, to take it all.

A thin red line arched into what should have been a smile, but there was a callousness that made me think otherwise. She got up from the bed and I tried to reach out to her, but I couldn't. I was too far gone. And that's when everything came rushing back.

I could see how people became addicted to that feeling, to the high that was brought on by the venom, but I had never felt more out of control in my life. I couldn't think straight, my limbs were limp and unresponsive, my body was no longer my own. I had never been that confined before and never wanted to be again. That euphoric state that many people craved left me feeling completely empty. But as I lay there with Rose, after indulging in a different kind of high, I had never felt more full. More alive.

I had managed to evade the addiction to a Moroi's bite and never went back, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to withstand my addiction to Rose. To the feeling of being with her in that moment, or any other.

"Where did you go?"

"Hmm?" I peered up at Rose, to find an investigative look on her gorgeous face. I instantly wanted to kiss her again and rose up onto one of my elbows, still keeping her body tucked against mine.

"I've seen that look on you before. In church mostly," Rose sat up a little, but I was delighted that she still didn't pull away from me, despite the heaviness carefully creeping into her words. "It's like your mind is somewhere else."

"You've been watching me in church," I asked curiously as I ran the back of my fingers down her arm.

"You telling me the ever-perceptive Dimitri Belikov didn't notice?"

I chuckled at her joke and played into her teasing. "Not necessarily. I'm just surprised that you'd waste your stealth spying skills on such a mundane cause."

She smiled and my heart leapt.

Then her serious tone was back. "Why do you go to church?"

My hand stopped just above her wrist and my lighter mood began to fade. I could've brushed it off and told her I went for the same reasons as everyone else, but we were well passed trying to fool one another. And suddenly being honest with her felt so much more important than any restless feelings that conversation might have stirred. I tried to think of the best way to explain it, but Rose continued on for me.

"You don't go there to worship, that much is clear. So I can only assume you are seeking penance."

It wasn't an uncommon reason for people to attend worship, hoping to receive some kind of salvation for the sins they had committed, but as Rose's hand inched across my shoulder to stroke the marks on the back of my neck, I realized she understood completely. My eyes darted to hers and I was equally drawn by their understanding and acceptance as I was astonished.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what," her brows slightly furrowed in confusion, but her gaze remained fixed on mine. Rose was perceptive and smart as hell, but sometimes I got this strange feeling that her skills weren't what helped her discover those hidden pieces of myself. We were tied together in some other way that allowed her access to the deepest parts of me and for some reason, I couldn't fathom, she actually wanted to know more about them.

I cleared my throat and sat up a little straighter. "Although what we do is necessary, I often times feel conflicted about it."

Rose nodded her head knowingly. "That's why you said it's the fighting you don't like."

"Yes," I continued. "I understand my purpose and have accepted it. I know what evil lurks out there and that it must be destroyed before it destroys us, but many of them were once human, Dhampir or even Moroi and sometimes...sometimes it feels like a waste. Like there should be another path outside all of this death."

I hadn't spoken about my thoughts on this subject with anyone other than Ivan, especially not to someone as fierce and dedicated as Rose. I was momentarily afraid that she would look down on me for thinking anything so contradictory to what we trained our entire lives for but rather than scoff or grow angry, she slowly moved her focus to her pendant, a far-off look glassing over her eyes.

I hadn't really looked that closely at it before, but as she twirled the silver charm between her fingertips I could see etchings that formed the outlines of a dragon delicately wrapped around it. She had told me once that it was charmed to help her with her bond to Princess Vasilisa, but the way she looked at it now, I wondered if there was more to it.

"I—I know how someone could feel that way. That death shouldn't have to be the solution."

It was nearly impossible to hide my shock at hearing those words come out of her mouth, of all people. I knew how badly she wanted to protect Vasilisa and keep the kingdom safe. If I hadn't already seen her kill multiple Strigoi, I would wonder if hesitation was where this line of thought stemmed from. But despite my complete state of stupor, I kept my face even.

Rose let out a small sigh as she continued rubbing her necklace between her fingers. "I told you once my connection to the dead is stronger than most. It comes with being shadow-kissed."

I nodded, briefly remembering back to that day by the marred trees. "One of those connections stems from sensing Strigoi, as you already know, but there are others that are less in my _favor_ , so to speak." There was an irritated note to her voice that I had admittedly been on the other end of a fair amount of times.

"What others?"

"Spirits...from the deceased," she said it like it was a common thing for someone to hear. Like she didn't just say that she had a connection to spirits who had crossed over to the other side.

"Without proper barriers up," she pointed to her head, "spirits of those who have recently passed can make an appearance. I didn't know about them until my first kill."

My eyes flicked to the back of her neck where her long list of executions were etched into her skin. I briefly wondered which Molnija was her first when she answered my silent question.

"He was human. An assassin sent to take out Lissa." Her hand dropped from her necklace and curled into the fur blankets. "A few weeks after our family was killed there was a lot of unrest in the kingdom. There were some who saw an opportunity to take the throne while it was in a fragile state and extremists going by the name íonachta went as far as to hire an assassin. He was posing as a merchant come to offer his services of trade. He made an attack on her when he thought she was alone, but I was close by and sensed her fear through the bond. I raced over to her and took him out. He was dead before I even knew what I had done."

A contrite strain tugged at her voice and I carefully moved my hand on top of hers, lending her a bit of strength to keep going. Her fingers wrapped around mine and her features subtly relaxed.

"I thought I would feel differently afterwards. I would feel accomplished for protecting Lissa and keeping her safe. But I had never felt more guilty about anything in my life. I kept thinking I didn't really need to kill him. I could have rendered him unconscious, but I was so caught up in that moment and the only thought that repeated in the back of my mind was: They Come First."

It was a mantra that several kingdoms instilled in their Guardians. Some just saw it as symbolic, but others had begun adapting it to a way of life. I knew Rose would do anything to protect her sister, not just out of duty but out of love. However, hearing that phrase come out of her so resolutely sent a pang into my chest.

"A few days later when I was outside the wards, I saw his spirit. He was just standing there, silently crying out in pain as if something was ripping at his insides. When he reached out towards me I ran away and as soon as I was back behind the wards he disappeared. I was freaked the fuck out, don't get me wrong, but after the initial shock wore off, I couldn't stop thinking about how I was the one who sent him there—to that...state. The guilt was almost enough to send me into a full spiral."

As much as I wanted to console her, I didn't bother telling her that she did what she had to in order to protect Vasilisa, because she didn't need me to. Rose wasn't dependant on hearing someone else explain how the world or her emotions worked.

"I've seen what the other side is like and regret every time I have to send someone there, no matter how evil they seem. I know that it's a burden our responsibilities force us to endure, but I just can't help but feel weak when those thoughts cross my mind."

"It doesn't make you weak, Roza," I spoke seriously, but kept my voice low. "If anything it makes you stronger. It shows that you don't take what we do lightly and gives your conscious a voice."

She looked up at me studiously, as if she was analyzing every word I spoke. "Without second-guesses and forethought, we would be nothing more than mindless killing devices. Considering the consequences of our actions makes us...human."

A look of awe spread across Rose's face and this time my heart stopped.

After a lingering moment as my words sunk in, a cheeky smile crept up the edges of her mouth. "You know, you have these rare moments where you sound like some kind of Zen follower. Maybe I should start calling you _Master_ Belikov."

I couldn't help but smile back and moved my free hand up to her silky waves. "Well, I may not be a master of Zen," I leaned forward and cocked an eyebrow as my bottom lip grazed hers, "but the bedroom on the other hand…"

"Someone's cocky," she playfully drawled as she pressed her breasts up against me.

"Getting there," I winked, pulling her into that kiss I had been wanting since she first started to stir. I didn't think I could ever get enough of the sweet taste of her lips and had to hold in a groan as she fervently moved them against mine.

I was seconds away from taking her again, when unexpectedly, Daisy let out a low growl at the front of the tent.

Rose pulled back an inch, her eyes hooded and her voice breathless. "What's up with her?"

"Nothing, she probably just heard someone approaching," I said nonchalantly as I tried to move back in for another kiss.

"WHAT?" Rose's eyes shot open on full alert, and she immediately leapt up from the bed and bolted over to her scattered clothes.

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at her panicked state. "It's fine Rose," I calmly stood from the bed. "I'll get rid of them."

She whipped her head around as she bounced on one leg, trying to pull her foot into her boot. Her eyes traced me up and down before she straightened to stand with her hands on her hips. "Like that?"

I ran a hand through my hair and gave her a lazy smile. "What? A man can't sleep in the nude?"

"You can't go out there looking like...like that!"

I cocked an eyebrow as if to ask her, _like what?_ I planned on throwing on a pair of trousers but neglected to tell her. Besides, seeing her in that flustered state was far too entertaining and this was a camp full of rowdy men after all. No one would give two shits about what I was or wasn't wearing.

"Like you've been up all night having sex," she whisper-yelled.

I took two steps closer to her and pulled her up against me, hoping our close proximity and the promise of something more would distract her. "Well, I have been, Roza."

My ploy appeared to be working when she gave me a sultry look and replied with, "Hmm well lucky you."

I was about to seal the deal and moved down to her inviting lips when Daisy let out an even louder growl.

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck." Like clockwork Rose began scrambling again, searching for her other boot and I shook my head at her as I latched on to my trousers and pulled them up over my hips.

I walked over to Daisy, still positioned defensively on the floor and gave her a scratch on the head. I heard some light shuffling behind me and was about to tell Rose to calm down when an audible ripping noise slashed through the tent.

I whipped around ready to pounce on whatever intruder was trying to break in, only to find Rose wielding a giant dagger that seemed to materialize out of nowhere, standing halfway through the now gaping hole in my tent.

"What the—where did you—?"

"Gotta run! See ya around Coimheach." And she was off.

"That little tart," I mumbled under my breath as Daisy sauntered over to look out the slash.

Not a moment later a voice called out from the front of my tent. "Belikov. You in there?"

"Yeah, yeah come in."

A golden blonde head popped in through the flap with a goofy smile attached to Guardian Castile's face. As he made his way in, I motioned to his empty hands and remarked, "What, no bucket of water this time?"

Eddie sheepishly rubbed a spot on his elbow and nervously looked away. "Uh no. Sorry about that by the way. But what the Marshall says goes."

"Don't try to pretend you didn't enjoy that even a little," I leveled my voice so he would know I wasn't entirely serious. There was no point in scaring him off now that Rose was gone.

"Ha! Well, maybe a little," his voice trailed off with a shrug as he took in the state of my quarters. His eyes roamed to my rumpled bed, then to my ripped tunic on the floor, and finally to the fresh slash in my tent.

"Wow. You sure know how to have a good time, Belikov," he laughed. "Meet a wild blade at the gathering last night? She must've been an oul battleaxe this morning to do that to yer tent."

"I don't see how that's any of your business," I bit back defensively.

Eddie held his hands up in mock surrender, with that lopsided grin still sticking to his cheeks. "Alright, alright. I didn't take you for the stingy type, but your business is your own. Just hopin' she had a friend you could introduce me to, that's all," he added with a wink.

"Not likely," I shook my head as I made my way over to my desk. I reached down towards my fallen stool, trying to remember when that had happened, and flipped it upright before taking a seat. "So, what can I do for you, Guardian Castile?"

After sparing one last lingering glance at his surroundings he struck up a casual pose in the center of my quarters and began his request. "Actually I was wondering if you could help me with a couple maneuvers. Alto was showing me some moves the other day, but I haven't been able to get them down and he's not the best instructor." He rolled his eyes, making his annoyance for the man painfully obvious.

"I know you usually have your morning routines with Rose, but I figured she'd have a wicked hangover this morning from feasting on roasted meat and fine wine all night and that you'd be free for a couple hours."

I suppressed the smile that was trying to make its way to the surface as he unknowingly brought up Rose's activities the prior evening. Although I was still a little bitter with the man for interrupting what could have been one last roll in the hay before Rose came to her senses, I decided that helping him was exactly what she would do and a distraction from the lingering memories of her gorgeous body entwined with mine might not be such a bad idea.

Eddie teetered on his feet as he eagerly waited for my response. His excitement was actually pretty endearing and reminded me a little of Ivan when he begged me to teach him how to fight. I rose from my perch and walked over to grab a shirt.

"Sure, Castile. I'm free as a bird."

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you all had Happy Holidays, whatever you and your family tend to celebrate! Here's a little late Xmas gift from the Romitri Fluff Elf ;)

As always, thanks for reading!

Translations:

Iskra (Искра) - Slavic name meaning "spark"

Blade - girl/woman

Oul battleaxe - cross/angry woman

íonachta - Irish for purity


	17. Chapter 17

**Part 1 Chapter 17**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Strange Times, Dark Days by Isla June**

After successfully sneaking back to my room undetected, I laid down on my bed, trying to get some semblance of sleep, but my mind was reeling with thoughts of Dimitri.

It was only a release, a way to get rid of some of the tension—sexual or otherwise—that had been building. I just needed someone to tell my damn heart to stop fluttering like a pathetic trollop and listen to my head!

Everything about our time together was exhilarating and mind-blowing. We were in such synchronization it was as if we had known each other for ages.

Ugh, but those were exactly the kinds of thoughts I needed to avoid. There was no way it could go anywhere. Nothing serious could ever, EVER transpire between us…

But I also couldn't stop thinking about every single detail like a friggin teenage stalker. Like how his eyes raked over my body as if he had never seen something so enrapturing. How his touch took my breath away and his kiss gave it back. And his lips. Those damn lips that over the past few months, had conveyed flirtatious smirks, helpful instruction, or friendly advice, but that night they traced sighs over my skin, swept murmurs along my neck. Murmurs that mainly consisted of one word... _Roza_.

The memory of my name rolling off his tongue like a purr caused my spine to tingle. Then I thought, maybe one more time wouldn't hurt...

"Rose!"

A shout jolted me out of my intoxicating trance and I practically fell out of my bed as someone began pounding at my door. "Rose are you in there? Please open up I need to talk to you. Please!"

I recognized the voice instantly and let out a small groan. I had half a mind to ignore it not wanting to ruin my newfound mood, but the pleading strain behind it propelled me out of bed and brought me to stand at the open doorway.

"Oh thank god," Lissa's arms latched around my neck, pulling me into a gripping hug. I had expected her to come back with more rebukes, so I was momentarily too stunned to return her embrace.

Noticing my lack of reaction, she righted herself and pulled away, simultaneously making her way into the room as I closed the door.

"Wh—where were you? I've been searching for you all night," she meekly asked.

I awkwardly looked down at the floor and avoided her gaze. She had always been a master at reading me and I was afraid she'd see the deceptiveness in my void expression. "I, uh, just went out for a run through the Emerald Pines. I needed to clear my head but lost track of time and stayed out longer than I intended to. I'm sorry."

"No, Rose. I'm the one that's sorry." Her volume rose to an almost desperate note, begging me to meet her eyes. I looked up to see tears coating those jade blue jewels. That look tugged at my heart.

"I'm not condoning what you did, but I completely overreacted. As soon as I left I felt absolutely horrible about what I said."

"I know what you mean," I agreed, thinking back to my part in the fight as well.

"I don't even believe half of those things that came flying out of my mouth. I just—well I…" her voice trailed off and a forlorn look formed on her face.

"What is it, Lissa?" The seriousness in my voice pulled her gaze back to mine. She hesitated for a moment, trying to sum up to the courage to continue before letting out a relenting sigh.

"The stress with everything going on was overwhelming. I needed an outlet to help me calm my nerves, so I...I went to St. Thomas' Hospital in the nearby kingdom and used a little bit of Spirit," my eyes widened at her confession, but I didn't make a move to interrupt her. "I only healed a few people and just minor treatments. It was only a little, not enough to do any damage and just enough for me to touch the magic so I could feel that light again." Her eyes sparked as she mentioned Spirit, making it clear how much she had missed it but that slowly diminished as she continued on. "But when I realized what I'd done I compelled the other nuns and patients so that they wouldn't remember it was me and I think that combined with the other magic use may have caused a bit of the darkness to come back."

It suddenly became painfully clear where those dark feelings pushing me forward to argue back with her came from. I reached down to touch my necklace and could sense that the strength of the magic embedded in it was dulling.

"I'm so sorry Rose," Lissa choked out. "I should have told you, but I didn't realize how much it was affecting me—affecting us—until last night."

I should have been upset with her for putting herself in danger. This was just a minor mishap, but if she had let it go on much longer she could have suffered some real damage from the side effects of her magic use. Although the darkness could also affect me, I was more worried about what Lissa would do when it eventually became too much to bear. However, I also knew how much that magic meant to her and the feeling it brought on when she used it for good. It was a fine line that we both teetered on and neither of us truly knew how to remain in perfect balance.

I briefly thought back to the bonded couple Dimitri knew from his village and wondered if he had made contact with them yet.

"Look, Liss," I let out a small sigh as I motioned for us to sit on my bed. "I understand the pressure you've been going through and wanting an outlet, but you need to be more careful." I took her hands in mine and gave them a gentle squeeze so she knew I was coming from a place of concern rather than reprimanding her. "And I'm not just talking about the magic. Things with the humans are okay for now, but you know as well as I do how some of them feel about us. I don't want you going off without me."

Lissa nodded solemnly, slight embarrassment tinting her pale cheeks. "You're right, I know you are. There's just been a restlessness in me that I can't seem to shake."

I thought back to the night before when all I wanted to do was abandon my responsibilities and indulge in something reckless. Although we seemed like complete opposites most of the time, it was funny how Lissa and I could be one and the same.

Lissa stayed with me for the better part of the day. She was hellbent on making sure we were good again and I enjoyed her easy company. I was particularly proud of myself for keeping the disgust from my face when she finally got the courage to talk about Lord Ozera around me. It still seemed weird how she was so taken with him this fast, but I indulged her all the same.

We finally parted ways when I had to prepare for a council meeting later that afternoon. I was feeling a little uneasy after the previous night's events and thought about skipping it, but there was a subject I wanted to breach with the other members that I had been sitting on for weeks and I wasn't sure how much longer it could wait. So I pushed down those insecurities and held my head high. As I approached the meeting room a familiar face made me feel slightly more assured.

"Marshall Hathaway, it's good to see you," Alberta Petrov greeted me with a pleasant smile. Her mahogany skin looked a shade darker than the last time I'd seen her and her complexion had a slight glow. I guess retirement had been treating her well.

"Marsh—I mean, Guardian Petrov," I corrected. "Old habits die hard." We chuckled at my gaffe.

"I'm surprised you're still attending these things. Not that I'm not glad to see you as well."

"Only on occasion," she moved a piece of her sandy, gray hair behind her ear. The normally short pixie cut was starting to grow out and I had to admit, the longer length suited her. "I would say it's to make sure that my troops haven't gone to complete shit since I left, but I know they are in good hands with you Rose."

Her lighter tone and easy manner caused me to believe she hadn't yet heard of the disruption I had caused at our welcome dinner. I was momentarily grateful I had yet to let her down, even though it wouldn't be long before she heard from someone else.

"Well, I'm glad to hear at least someone does," I mumbled under my breath.

A knowing hum escaped her and her eyes flicked inside the room as she leaned in closer to me, shifting her voice an octave lower. "Victor knows a great deal, but he doesn't know everything Rose. I left you in charge not despite your impulsiveness but because of it. You've always had this natural ability to achieve the impossible, you just need to pick the right battles to avoid a full on war. Just stay true to yourself and keep your chin up."

It became clear that she had in fact heard about my outburst, but rather than scold me she was building me back up. "I've really missed you, you know," I whispered through a waning smile.

"I've missed you too, kiddo." Alberta draped an arm over my shoulder and walked us into the meeting room. Most of the council members were already seated along the round table, including Dimitri. His serious, professional expression was fastened in place as one of the older Moroi engaged him in a hushed conversation.

I shouldn't have been surprised to see Lord Ozera there as well but was a little thrown off nonetheless. It seemed he wasn't harboring any ill-feelings from the night before though and he sat calmly at the other end of the table and greeted us with a polite nod.

As soon as we were all situated, Victor called us to attention. He began with the usual day to day run down of activities in the kingdom and allowed some of the other council members to weigh in as needed. It was a total bore but a necessity I supposed, so I did my best to pretend to pay attention. However, the more Victor went on, the more obvious it became that he was purposely avoiding looking at me.

I guess not everyone was over the happenings at that damn dinner.

After the better part of an hour, it looked like Victor was wrapping up. Normally, he would use the last bit of time to open the floor up for discussion or suggestions on rising matters, my only reason for attending this snoozefest in the first place, but for some reason, he steered the conversation in a different direction. When it became clear that he wasn't going to give me an opportunity to speak, I decided to take my own.

"Actually, before we depart I have a matter I would like to discuss." All heads simultaneously whipped towards me.

All except Victor's.

His shoulders slightly tensed and his eyes were fixed on the parchments in front of him. I could only assume he thought I was going to cause another scene, but now that I had everyone's attention I wasn't backing down.

"It involves the neighboring Sage King's Kingdom." This finally got him to look up.

"Is that so," he finally spoke, looking near me rather than at me. "You've never shown much interest in those relations before. I'm interested," he paused. "What is it you have in mind."

I ignored his little slight, he was obviously still pissed at me, but I had successfully pulled him into the conversation and could see that he was truly curious. "As most of you know, there have been increased sightings of Strigoi in the area. Some had a run in with a group of nomad Vikings a few weeks ago, and a few even made attempts to prowl the outskirts of our wards."

"Yes, we're aware," Shamus, a burly prick of a tosser who had somehow managed to become head of treasury spoke up. "But what does that have to do with the humans?"

"The Strigoi are a threat," I gritted through my teeth. "To us, yes, but especially to the humans. They aren't as well prepared or equipped to handle these kinds of attacks. If the Strigoi get close to their borders and decide to make a move, the Sage King will be looking for someone to blame. And who better to take his anger out on than a kingdom of Vampires and half-bloods?"

"So what is it you are proposing," Alberta prompted with genuine interest.

"I would like to take a small regiment out to investigate. Large enough to take the Strigoi out if we come across the pack, but small enough that we won't raise suspicion from scouts of the Sage King. The way they attacked the Vikings and their attempts at our borders shows they were using small groups, but I don't think that was all of them. There aren't many areas they could be hiding that would hold more than five or six so I think ten to fifteen men would suffice."

"You mean to say you want to go out into the woods and seek them out? That's madness!" A few of the other council members agreed with Shamus' outburst and objections began to rise. I resisted the temptation to hurl one of my boots at him from across the table and just sat still as the others argued amongst themselves.

"Marshall Hathway makes a valid point," Dimitri's voice was at a moderate volume, but it had a commanding tone that hushed the other rebukes in the room instantly. "If the humans are attacked it is likely they will look towards St. Vladimir's to blame. Although we have no involvement, if they truly associate all Vampires as a threat, it would be wise to snuff out the problem before there even is one. I agree with her plan."

The room stayed silent for a few brief moments as the other council members took in what Dimitri said. Although he had only been with us for a short while, his opinion had come to be highly valued among the others. His experience and reputation were widely known now and even those who had been on the council for decades tended to heed his advice when he was outspoken enough to warrant it.

I was glad to have him on my side, especially considering what he had admitted to me in his tent about having reservations about killing others, Strigoi or not. I knew this wasn't something he was throwing around lightly just to stay on my good side. If he was agreeing to this plan, it's because he truly believed it to be a viable solution.

"Shall we put it to a vote," Alberta finally broke the tense silence. "Those in favor of the proposed mission say 'aye'."

Several around the table spoke up as others hesitantly raised their hands. In the end, a count wasn't even needed. The obvious majority now sided with me. I looked over to Victor, expecting a look of admonishment from him, but surprisingly all I saw was worry.

Now that the meeting was over, the others gathered to stand but I was stuck in place under Victor's troubled stare. I could tell he wanted to say something to me privately, something to possibly try and convince me to stay behind, but someone else beat him to me before he could speak.

"I want to come along."

It took me a moment to realize the voice was speaking to me and when I finally came to my senses I turned around to see Lord Ozera patiently waiting for my response.

"You do?" I wasn't shocked as so much as confused. I understood that he may have felt like he had something to prove after our encounter the previous night, but going up against an unknown group of Strigoi was a stupid way to do it.

"Yes. I believe I can help you. If there are really as few as you think there are, then you probably won't need me, but if something goes wrong it wouldn't hurt to have a surprise factor on your side."

I eyed him skeptically, knowing this was a terrible idea. Firstly, because I didn't want to be anywhere near the little creep, and secondly, because if he was injured—or worse—out in the field, there's no way that his kingdom wouldn't blame us. It was a sticky situation.

"No offense, Lord Ozera, but that idea is batshit crazy."

He let out a small, amused huff and rolled his eyes to the side. "Maybe, but from what I've heard, batshit crazy plans are your M.O. Besides, you can't really keep me from going, so you might as well just let me in on the planning now so that I'm more prepared."

"Oh puleasee. If you—" I started to object, but he cut me off, no doubt knowing the arguments I planned to make.

"If you're as great of a warrior as everyone says you are, then I will be in good hands. I'm sure you'll be able to watch out for me if need be." He crossed his arms over his chest defiantly and stared me down, daring me to argue with him.

I met his challenge, refusing to look away from his icy stare. I had about a hundred things ready to say to him to either prove my point of why he shouldn't go, or try to make him not want to, but then I thought of Lissa. She wanted so badly for me to get to know him as she supposedly already had. I could push him away and piss him off even more, which is what I really _really_ wanted to do, or I could give in a little and offer him the opportunity to prove himself. No matter how pointless that seemed.

"Fine," I finally relented. "You can come, but I want at least two guards around you at all times. I don't have time to babysit you, but if _you're_ at least half as badass as you think you are, I won't have to."

Christian turned to head out the door, glancing at me over his shoulder as he mumbled, "Great pep talk Marshall. I can't imagine how your men would ever need encouragement with wise words like those."

 _Vlad this guy was snarky_.

I shook my head and moved to follow him out when I was stopped again. "Rose."

I turned around slightly startled, having forgotten that Victor was still in the room. That worried look was still etched on his face and he looked like he had a thousand things he wanted to say. Instead, he just settled on one. "Be careful."

It came out as more of a plea than a request, and I solemnly nodded my head in response. He gave me a half-hearted smile that didn't fully reach his eyes and I tried to give him one in return, knowing it was about as unconvincing as his.

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: Come Together by Gary Clark Jr.**

There was still a little bit of light left as we strolled through the hidden paths of the Emerald Pines, exactly how we had planned. Rose wanted to get a good amount of ground covered before nightfall so we would have a clear idea of where the Strigoi would be hiding, but not so soon that we would give away our numbers before we reached the pack.

Since Rose and I had spent a good amount of time in these woods throughout our training sessions, she split us off into two groups. She was leading a group of six Guardians parallel to us, but about 30 yards away, and I was heading the other group of seven men and my wolf. As we came across familiar low hanging branches and protruding roots, I silently pointed them out to the men to keep them from making as little noise as possible. We also hoped by walking in smaller groups it would entice the Strigoi to come out of hiding unknowing to the extent of our forces.

Each inch the sun sunk lower in the sky, my hand gripped tighter around the handle of my battle axe. It was my preferred weapon against Strigoi since I could wield the most power and effective blows with fewer strikes, whereas against other enemies I would be fully equipped with my full armor and sword. There was no need for either of those out here since my armor would only slow me down and make too much noise, but were a necessity against the humans' more advanced weaponry.

After a while of walking, Daisy wandered off to the east, still within earshot but out of sight. I kept stealing quick glances over to Rose, waiting for some kind of sign that we were getting closer. I knew about her body's warning to nearby Strigoi but wasn't sure how close she needed to be.

A twig snapped in the distance just as the last of the light faded and we all froze in place. I raised my fist up, signaling for the men behind me to hold, and looked over to the other group to await instructions. We remained still as we all scanned the area and I saw Rose's eyes flick to Lord Ozera behind me. Even though she had made a point to tell him, several times, that she wasn't going to waste her time watching out for him I knew there was no way in hell he would be out of her sight.

"Look," a breath whispered into my ear.

I sharpened my focus in the distance, looking towards where Christian was pointing and could see the outline of a fawn. I looked back over to Rose's group and could tell they had spotted it as well. A couple men started to move their feet, but Rose shot her arm out and signaled for them to get down.

"Get ready," she whispered.

"But it's just a deer," another Guardian started to argue, but Rose quickly hushed him and gave the hand signal to stay low and prepare for attack.

Her eyes darted over to us one last time and as they met mine, she gave me a subtle nod, letting me know that they were here. My blood began to pump in my veins as I prepared myself for what was to come, but my breathing remained steady and my grip held with certainty. I momentarily closed my eyes and dedicated all of my other senses to our surroundings. I listened to the soft wind as it blew through the trees, trying to hear if there were any unfamiliar blockades parting it. I took a long, deep inhale, sifting for any iron in the air. My hand pressed into the moist soil, awaiting any vibrations that disturbed the calm forest.

My eyes snapped open and without hesitation, I lunged forward just as a Strigoi soared down from one of the trees above. My axe swung directly into his chest before he even hit the ground and I ripped it out only to plunge it straight through his skull, splitting it in two.

Four more came running at my side, hissing menacingly as they charged. I let out a sharp whistle and Daisy came bursting out of the woods, tackling one of them to the ground. The men behind me surged out of hiding and intercepted two of them while I dodged an attack from the other. Although her body looked like it couldn't have been more than twenty-five when she was turned, I could tell she was old and strong, much quicker than the other three she had left behind. Her long, pale fingers clawed at me like a rabid beast trying to snatch me for her prey. I ducked below her swipe and simultaneously surged my axed into her side. The she-demon let out a pained shrill and shot her foot towards my stomach. I managed to move back enough to avoid the brunt of her blow but stumbled slightly from the backend of her impact.

Her side was oozing blood and a gaping hole sliced from her waist down to the middle of her abdomen. She was having a hard time standing up straight as the sound of blood trickled onto the crunching leaves on the ground, but I could see the wound was quickly starting to heal. I knew her strength would be a formidable force, but luckily her impatience outweighed any sense to wait for her wound to seal before trying for another attack. The female stumbled towards me like a lopsided doll as she hungrily dragged her tongue across her fangs. Before she could make up her mind as to what she was going to do, I feigned an attack to the left and swung at her from below straight up into her chest, or what was left of it after my axe splintered it to pieces.

I pushed my foot into her still body and lurched my weapon out of her with a crunch. Behind her I could see Daisy latch onto another Strigoi from behind, pulling it down by the shoulders as two Guardians simultaneously plunged their weapons into its chest. I tested my side where the female's foot had struck me and recognized a tenderness in my side where I could count at least three bruised ribs. I was lucky they weren't broken.

Then without warning, he was on me.

I didn't even hear his approach. I turned around to get a view of the other squad only to see a Strigoi mere inches from my face. His fangs were poised for attack and his arm was reaching for my throat. But before I could even lift my axe to protect myself from his assault, he halted as an arrowhead protruded out of his right eye. His jaw flung open to let out a battered howl when another arrow slung directly into his heart from behind. He slumped to the ground falling in a heap directly at my feet. My eyes shot up to the direction of the arrow's trajectory only to see Rose standing there, hoisting her loosened bow.

"Watch your back, Coimheach," she called out from across the meadow, the tiniest grin tugging at the corner of her mouth before she turned away and launched into combat with another Strigoi twice her size.

Heading her advice, I turned around and spotted a lanky Strigoi making his way towards Lord Ozera. The Moroi boy just stood there unmoving. There was an emotionless expression on his face, but I could see his fingers twitching ever so slightly at his side. I had seen that familiar tell before—maybe it was a family trait—and knew what he was about to do. I raced at the Strigoi's back, pulling a stake from its holster at my side and shouted at Christian, "Light it up!"

The thin line of his mouth cracked into a devious smile as his hands rose from his sides. The Strigoi's head immediately burst into flames and he began flailing his arms towards it in an attempt to put it out. A stench of burnt flesh and hair immediately surrounded us and the new light illuminated the other faces of the woods. The Strigoi's efforts to extinguish the fire were to no avail and before he could sense my presence I sunk my silver stake deep into his back, ignoring the pain in my side as I twisted it upwards until I made contact with his cold heart.

Christian diminished his flames before the limp body hit the ground, his chest heaving with excitement and rush. I looked around to see several of the other Strigoi staring at us with their mouths gaping. They had a greater number than we originally assumed, but it was obvious in that moment that their resolve had just been shattered.

Our men began to form a circle around those that were left, surrounding them with sparks of silver as our weapons caught rays from the bright light of the full moon.

Daisy snarled in their direction as she moved beside me, fresh blood dripping from her dagger-like teeth. Our enclosure of warm bodies tightened around the Strigoi, leaving no room for escape. Their red eyes darted around furiously, searching for any sign of weakness in our blockade until two small words brought all of their attention to one man.

"Who's next," Christian taunted just before we all simultaneously lunged at the panicked beasts.

* * *

 **A/N** : Some of you may have already guessed that the darkness was the cause of Lissa's outburst at Rose but if not, I hope you're not still too mad at her. Also, I've been super amped for this battle scene. It's about time we saw some real Dimitri badass battle skills out in the field. Hope you guys enjoyed and are having a great 2019 so far! Happy New Year!


	18. Chapter 18

**Part 1 Chapter 18**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: WALLS by Kings of Leon, Retrograde by James Blake, Politik by Coldplay**

The last of the dying flames finally diminished and the forest returned back to it's darkened state. I could no longer sense any other Strigoi nearby and was satisfied that we had taken them all out. A few of the men tossed some dirt over the remains of the scorched bodies that Lord Ozera had taken care of for us. The sun would've been just as effective in the morning, but it also posed the risk of catching some of the trees on fire as well and we were all glad no to have to drag the bodies back with us.

Christian leaned his back against a nearby pine and let out a deep huff. I could tell his unusual paleness wasn't just a result of the still beaming moonlight and grabbed a couple Guardians nearby. "You two escort Lord Ozera back to the castle. He needs blood to replenish."

The men nodded at me in agreeance and walked over to help Christian up. He defiantly shrugged them off at first, insisting that he could manage on his own, but after a few shaky steps, he finally relented to their assistance. As they neared me, Christian looked up from the ground and gave me a lopsided grin.

"So, not completely useless," he breathed out in question.

I eyed him for a moment, remembering the engulfing flames he created to incinerate some of the Strigoi, and smaller bursts to distract others. His skills were a tad sloppy and unpredictable at times but I had to admit, if he managed to hone them in and perfect them we would be unstoppable in combat.

"Not completely."

His icy eyes rolled at my response and with a shake of his head, he and the two Guardians began making their way back to the castle. Not long after the rest of us began to follow. While we slowly and tiredly trudged our way through the forest, the woods began turning a muted gray as daylight made its approach.

Along the walk I should have been replaying the events from the battle in my head, trying to deduce any details I might have missed, but my thoughts kept wandering to one thing...Dimitri. He was unlike anything I had ever seen in a fight. Although I had been practicing with him for weeks, witnessing his deadly speed and strength against the Strigoi was somehow mesmerizing. I couldn't quite explain it, but the way he moved was almost...inhuman.

It appeared I wasn't the only one who thought so as I caught whispers from some of the nearby men. "Did you see Belikov out there," Baker whispered to Eddie.

"I know," my friend soberly replied.

"How did he move like that? Those monsters barely stood a chance." They glanced towards the far end of the group to where Dimitri was walking beside Daisy before turning their attention back to their hushed conversation. "If I didn't know him, I would think he was some kind of god."

Even though most of the time Eddie was lighthearted and always game for a laugh, he was also pretty rational and level-headed. So when Baker threw out a comment like that I half expected Eddie to snicker or at least give him a doubtful headshake in response, which is why I was momentarily surprised when instead, he mumbled to himself, "A god."

When we could finally see the edges of the treeline, signaling we were almost back to the wards, I began making my way towards the other side of the group. Daisy had long since run off, probably to fetch some water from the nearby creek and Dimitri was walking alone. Occasionally, I could see some of the men cast him sidelong glances before quickly looking away. It was almost as if they were all suddenly highly intimidated by him, despite fighting alongside him every day for the past month.

His hardened expression was fixed on the horizon and for some reason, that stone mask caused my heart to clench. I had seen so many sides to Dimitri, a handful of new ones in the past 48 hours, and seeing him hide behind that indifferent state was two parts distressing and one part infuriating. When I was finally close enough to reach him, I shot my hand out and latched onto his wrist. His body stiffened and his fingers curled into a fist, but as his eyes snapped to mine he slightly relaxed. That is until he recognized the serious expression on my face. Without a word, I jerked my head to the side and pulled his arm with me. Dimitri's body soon followed and I glanced back to make sure no one was paying us too much attention. Luckily, the only person that seemed to even notice us was Eddie. I gave him my best attempt at a reassuring look and motioned for him to keep going. It seemed to placate him enough and he continued on with the others, casting me one last glance over his shoulder as he marched on.

I kept my sights on the troops until they were out of earshot before turning my focus back to Dimitri. He stood there in front of me patiently watching. His eyes were mahogany shut doors, their usual burnished warmth diminished by whatever was going on inside him.

"Are you okay," I quietly asked.

His brow twitched in surprise, making the tiniest crack in his stone countenance. "I'm fine," he cooly replied. "Just some bruised ribs. She didn't do that much damage."

"That's not what I meant, Dimitri." I thought back to the morning spent in his bed. He had admitted to having reservations about killing Strigoi and feeling like it was a waste of life; however, the way he fought today, it was as if he completely shut out all his emotions in order to inflict the worst, most efficient possible damage. Now that the fighting was over, was what he had done catching up to him?

I'm not sure how it was possible but he managed to stand up even straighter, completely towering over me as he took in a deep inhale. "Thank you for the maneuver with the arrow. I shouldn't have gotten distracted. It won't happen again, Marshall."

Did he really think all I cared about was his performance on the battlefield? That I would rather admonish him for a moment of hesitation—which he probably could have handled himself—than ensure his well-being? I wanted to scream at him. Fling my fists into those tender ribs for thinking that I would be so indifferent towards him. But as Dimitri began to turn away, that blockade firmly lodged in place to hide his emotions, I did the only thing I could think to do that would maybe bring his true self back to me. I kissed him.

My lips were on his before he'd even realized I was pulling him down. I felt his neck stiffen in surprise under my grip at first, but when his mind caught up to his body he relaxed and quickly began to sink into my hold.

That fierceness I had unleashed from the night before returned to him and taking control, he roughly pressed my back into a nearby tree and deepened the kiss as his hands tangled in my windblown hair. I snaked one of my legs around him, pulling his body impossibly closer as his tongue rolled across mine. My hands darted up to his shoulders as his moved down to my thighs, both of us simultaneously lifting me up and anchoring me to him.

Our frenzied hands worked on untying each other's trousers as Dimitri continued to ravage my mouth. I held in a whimper, anticipating what I knew was underneath his clothes and gripped his hips tighter between my legs. Our movements were crazed and desperate, as if we were racing towards something that we couldn't quite catch—or maybe it was something we were running from.

Between us were countess scars that we couldn't escape and would never be erased but the more consumed in one another we became, the more their existence increasingly drowned out. A familiar heat that only arose when I was near Dimitri began to pour into me, causing my body to call out to him, and even with every part of my being pressed firmly against him, I wanted him to be closer. _Needed_ him to be closer.

Before he could even finish moving my trousers down past my thighs, I reached into his and pulled his hardened member inside me. One of his hands audibly slammed against the bark of the tree as we both let out a deep, enamored moan. He didn't waste any time and began hammering into me, his stone mask cracking with each plunge. I arched my back and spread my legs wider, granting him more access but the shift caused him to let out a small wince.

Finally remembering the injury to his ribs I moved one of my hands down and hovered over them. "Dimitri, your—"

"I don't care," he immediately bit out, heaving forward even harder and silencing my protests for good.

White clouds of steam flurried around us as our increasingly hot breaths gasped out between thrusts. When he was close, Dimitri's head dipped into the crook of my neck, his scrunched brow warmly pressing against my skin. I roughly tugged the back of his hair to hold on causing him to grip my ass tightly and lightly nip at my neck. Those small, juxtaposing movements combined with his powerful drives sent me tumbling over the edge, my head falling back hard against the tree and my body shattering with sweet release.

Dimitri buried his face in my hair for a moment as his body subtly shuddered, shooting small waves of aftershocks straight through my core. We stayed that way for a lingering moment, trying to steady our heaving chests pressed firmly against the other. When his breathing started to normalize, Dimitri pulled his face out of the hidden confines of my hair until it was mere inches from my own. I feared for a moment that his stone facade would have returned now that it was over, but as my eyes darted around his features I could see they had significantly softened. There was still a trace of bleakness I knew was burning below that mask, but as he held me tightly against him I couldn't tell if it was from what had happened on the battlefield...or something else.

I was suddenly transfixed under his gaze. Those brown eyes full of warmth, want, and something I had yet to decipher. I'm not sure how long we stayed there staring at one another, but when he finally broke contact and momentarily looked away I felt like the wind had just been knocked out of me. I blinked a few times and moved my hands back to his shoulders, taking in a few calming inhales. Dimitri pulled away from the tree and gently set me down, all the while both of us avoiding looking the other directly in the eye. I immediately fastened my trousers as he turned away to do the same. After the last time we were together, Dimitri was spirited and self-assured, but now there was something about his actions that made him seem somewhat ambivalent.

"Dimitri," his face rose from the ground to meet mine, a hopeful look forming in place. "Are you—"

I stopped for a moment, trying to decide what I wanted to say to him, but that brief hesitation caused his face to fall, a slightly darker look taking the former's place.

"Don't ask me if I'm okay again, Rose." The annoyance was clear in his voice, but I couldn't understand why.

 _Why was he pushing me away like this?_

His actions should have concerned me but instead, they only pissed me off. My hands instinctively moved to my hips and I whipped my hair over my shoulder to give him a clear view of my serious glare. "I'm just trying to be your friend Dimitri."

"Friend," he huffed under his breath as he shook his head.

"Yeah, Coimheach. Friend. You're the one that wanted that. Remember?"

"If you want to be my friend then stop acting like you feel sorry for me," his voice started to rise. "I don't need to be consoled or comforted. I don't need your pity."

He practically spat out the last word as if even thinking it insulted him.

"I didn't do that because I pity you," I carefully defended as my eyes flicked to the tree we had just been pressed up against.

"Oh really," he frustratingly ran a hand through his long hair and took another step away from me. "Then why did you, Rose?"

The question should have been easy to answer. There were a million reasons to be intimate with someone. Because I found him attractive. Because my lingering adrenaline needed an outlet. Because I was horny as fuck and wanted to get off.

"I did it because I—because I—" A dozen more similar answers ran through my mind, but none of them sounded quite right coming off my tongue. I moved my gaze away from Dimitri's impenetrable stare and looked around, hoping the answer would just come to me, when something else drew me away from the conversation altogether.

A flicker of indigo that seemed blinding compared to the mossy green and muted browns of the forest pulled my attention towards it. After three hurried strides, I knelt down to the ground and brushed a few fallen leaves away from what had caught my eye.

Sensing something was awry, Dimitri seriously asked, "Rose, what is it?"

I clutched onto the torn, dirtied fabric residing on the ground and ran my thumb along the indigo stitching in the shape of the triskele. Dread coursed through me and my heart felt like it fell from my chest to plunge straight into my stomach. I immediately straightened up and whipped around to face Dimitri. "We have to get back. Now."

Without hesitation or question, he nodded and began treading back towards the castle as I tucked the fabric in my pocket and followed him in tow.

/

As we approached the gates I could see Lissa's pale hair whipping in the wind as she worriedly paced back and forth. It wasn't uncommon for her to wait for my return, it had become a bit of a tradition really, but I was surprised by who was behind her. Victor.

I would have thought he'd be inside the kingdom welcoming the other troops, or checking in on Lord Ozera at the very least. But there he was, standing still as a statue—well in comparison to Lissa's nervous traipsing— with his sunken eyes fixed on the boundary of the wards. My uncle straightened up a little when he finally spotted us, causing Lissa's head to whip around. Before I'd even made it a few feet passed the gates her slender arms flung around my neck, pulling me into a tight hold.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Lissa whispered against my shoulder.

"Me too sis," I squeezed her back before pulling away to face her.

The relieved smile she'd gained when she spotted us started to fade as her eyes darted between Dimitri and I. When I noticed her gaze moving slightly above our heads, I realized she was using Spirit to read our auras. I'm sure they were a complete wreck, not only from the _incident_ with the tree but also from the distressing news I was about to unleash. I could feel questions start to bubble inside her through the bond, but Victor moved forward before she could relay them.

"Rose," he firmly placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. "It's good to have you home."

"Good to be home, Vic," I lightly replied.

"And Guardian Belikov," he turned towards Dimitri. "I hear you were quite a force in battle. We are grateful you have returned to us unharmed."

Despite the warmness in Victor's tone, Dimitri's only response was a curt nod. I wasn't sure if his standoffish demeanor was a cause of what had just transpired between us, or if he was still miffed with Victor from the other night. Either way, I didn't have time to dawn on it.

"I'm glad the both of you are here," I said to our worried greeters. "There's something we need to discuss."

"Did something happen? The others said the mission was a success," Victor queried, his arm finally dropping as he took a few steps back. He was trying his best to remain composed, but I could hear a trace of panic in his voice. When it came to politics, he could handle almost anything but Strigoi were one thing you could count on to set him on edge. And rightfully so.

"They're not wrong. The mission went as well as can be expected, but we stumbled upon something else that needs your immediate attention."

"Of course," he looked between Lissa and me seriously, "let's go inside to discuss."

The two Moroi began to turn towards the castle entrance when I called out to stop them. "Actually, I would like Guardian Belikov to join us if that's alright with the two of you."

Victor seemed slightly surprised, understandably since I hadn't been too keen on his plans for Belikov in the past, but there was still a pleased note to his voice as he said, "Of course."

I didn't bother turning to ask Dimitri if he wanted to be involved because at that moment I needed him present as a valuable member of my troops; not for whatever else was going on between us.

Along the way I had one of the castle guards summon Natalie to meet us in the smaller dining hall. Luckily, she was nearby and didn't take long to appear. When she did, Natale gave me a small hug to welcome me back and gave Dimitri a quick, shy curtsy, avoiding any of her typical flirtatious remarks after sensing the seriousness in the room.

I took a few glances around the room to make sure none of the servants were present before I turned my attention back to the anxious group. I slipped my hand inside my pocket and when I produced the torn fabric, gasps filled the air.

"The íonachta," Lissa shakily breathed out, immediately recognizing the blue triskele they used as their unofficial insignia.

"Where did you find this," Victor demanded.

"It was in the woods, not far from the point of attack with the Strigoi." I glanced at Dimitri out of the corner of my eye, and for once I was glad to see that stone mask resting in place.

"I don't understand," Natalie nervously spoke up. "The íonachta dissipated years ago. Why would they come back to St. Vladimir's now? Especially, when we have announced possible suitors for Vasilisa?"

I could see Lissa's hands shaking at her sides and immediately wished I could have kept her in the dark about this, but it was imperative that she be on high alert. That we _all_ were on high alert.

Victor reached down and gently pulled the cloth into his hand to examine it, running his thumb over the indigo threads. "It doesn't appear to be a message," he quietly mused to himself.

"No," Victor's eyes shot back up to Dimitri as the Dhampir spoke. "The tearing appears to have come from someone's personal item—a tunic or some other type of clothing—rather than a flag or banner to be left behind purposely. We believe it came off of one of the Strigoi during the fight."

"Were there any others wearing this emblem," Victor took two determined steps towards the Guardian.

Dimitri looked away for a moment, his memories and thoughts running a mile a minute through his head before he slowly shook it. "I don't recall seeing any, but if there were they could have been hidden. Unfortunately, the bodies have already been burned."

There was a wild look in Victor's eyes that I had never seen. He was not one to show his fear, even in front of those he trusted, but now it radiated off of him. "I know what you're thinking Vic," I eased in, "and that may not be the case. It's possible one of the Strigoi was a former member associated with the íonachta before they were turned. We can't say for sure if someone from the inside is trying to conspire with them."

"A Moroi working with the Strigoi?! That's insane," Natalie practically shrieked, disgust and terror written all over her normally pretty face.

"Rose," Lissa's breathing was becoming shallow and rapid as the conversation continued. "What does that mean?"

I strode over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, gripping it tight. "Don't worry Lissa. I won't let anything happen to you." I turned my gaze over to Dimitri and fixed him with a serious stare. " _We_ won't let anything happen to you."

A nod in our direction was his only response, but I could tell that his presence here and his silent promise to help protect Lissa were helping to settle her rising nerves. I took a step back to face the group, still keeping Lissa within arms reach. "This just means that we need to take extra precautions, but discreetly. I don't want word getting around about this. We will increase Lissa's guard detail and keep our eyes open, only involving those that we trust entirely."

"Yes, we must keep this quiet," Victor spared a quick glance to Natalie, no doubt putting the extra emphasis towards her notorious big mouth. "Rose, you and Guardian Belikov work out the details and get back to me in the morning. I would appreciate it if you could provide me the names of a few Guardians you know we can trust and I'll see to it that they are questioned on if they saw anything out of the ordinary in the woods. Let's agree for now that none of us mention the íonachta unless absolutely vital."

"Agreed," the rest of us simultaneously concurred.

Victor nodded and sunk the torn fabric into his cloak. "Come girls, we must appear that everything is in order. I want you two to go down to the troops and welcome those who fought in battle back."

"Of course, Victor."

"Yes, father."

I gave Lissa one last look of assurance as they headed out of the room, hoping that telling her hadn't been a huge mistake. Even after the door closed behind them I couldn't tear my gaze away from it as chilling thoughts about her mental state rolled through me.

"You did the right thing," Dimitri's deep voice was muffled as I tried to bring my focus back to the room.

"Huh?" I turned to face him, relieved to find a softer expression than before was waiting for me.

"She deserved to know. She can handle it."

It still blew me away how he could read me like an open scroll when I normally prided myself on my ability to keep those insecure parts of me sealed. I sometimes wondered if it had something to do with his training back in Kievan Rus, but recalled the times I was able to do the same with him. It was as if there was some intangible bridge between us that was only accessible to the other, where we could openly and freely share our deepest, darkest secrets while still keeping them hidden from the rest of the world.

Lissa and I shared a bond that allowed me access to her thoughts and emotions, but even that tie didn't give her the same ability to read me as Dimitri did. It was almost like he could see into my very soul. The thought of sharing a connection like that to another person scared the living shit out of me.

I gave him a small nod in gratitude and walked over to the table. I pulled out a seat in an attempt to shake off my sudden nervousness around him and motioned for him to do the same. Despite his hulking frame and likely exhaustion from the events of the day, he gracefully folded into his seat as if he was attending a formal dinner. I had to mentally scold myself into focussing and to stop fixating on all of these small details about Dimitri Belikov.

"I know the timing isn't ideal to ask this of you," I started, "but great timing hasn't always been my strong suit so I'm just going to go for it anyways." Dimitri raised an eyebrow at me making my heart do a backward leap and I took a deep breath to calm myself down. "I want you to be my second in command."

He sat there unmoving for a moment, just staring back at me with those infuriatingly gorgeous brown eyes. His silence was agonizing in the fact that it suddenly made me feel extremely vulnerable for some unknown reason. I was on the verge of screaming the question back at him when he finally spoke. "Are you asking me to be High Constable?"

A frustrated gust of air left my lungs. "Yes. And it's not just because of how you were in battle, or what happened after," I awkwardly paused, fixing my gaze on a crack in the table. The memories of his words in the woods plagued me. I didn't want him to think I was asking him to be by my side because I pitied him or felt obligated to. I wanted him to know that the reasons went well beyond any kind of physical interactions we might have shared, or his brute force on the field. I brought my gaze back up to his and prayed he could see the gravity behind my request. "It's because I trust you—more than almost anyone else. You've proven that I can count on your judgment and that you will act because it's what's right, not because it's an option." He adjusted in his seat as I continued on. "Lissa is the most important thing in the world to me, and I am asking you to help me protect her."

Dimitri seemed to be deep in thought as he considered my words and I allowed him a moment or two to think over the request before impatiently prompting him for a response. "Soooo, will you accept?"

"Yes, Marshall," his voice softened as his gaze rose to meet mine and when he spoke the next words, I knew he truly meant them. "I'd be honored."

Thoughts from our night in his tent surged through me as he looked at me that way. It was only a glimmer of the adoring look I'd seen in the dim light of his quarters, but it simultaneously caused my pulse to race and my heart to stutter.

"Great," I leaped up from my seat, putting some much-needed space between us. "Now go get cleaned up. You smell like shit."

A small chuckle eased out of him and the sound wrapped around me like a warm blanket. I could sense there was more he wanted to say, but my emotions were running wild and I needed some time away from him to sort them out. I bid him farewell and briskly marched back to my quarters, not stopping until my back was firmly pressed against my closed door.

I sunk down to the floor, finally letting the exhaustion overtake me. As my face fell into my hands I mumbled against them, "Ugh, pull yourself together Hathaway."

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for the day delay. Work and a million other things got in the way, bla bla bla. Anyways, this one was a whirlwind of emotions for Rose. She's probably got whiplash back in her room after the day she's had.

Also, although it was only a few chapters ago it's been a couple weeks since the íonachta have been brought up. Hopefully, I didn't confuse too many of you—one of the many downfalls of only having time to post once a week :/. But if you have questions about what's happening feel free to message me and I'll be happy to shed some light. Thanks for being a patient bunch and for keeping up with this story!

 **Translation** :

triskele - celtic spiral


	19. Chapter 19

**Part 1 Chapter 19**

 **DPOV**

 **Song: Through the Dark by Alexi Murdoch, Beyond by Leon Bridges**

The next week after Rose had asked me to take the role of High Constable was a nightmare. Victor was more than pleased at the news and insisted on having a small ceremony to make it official. It took everything within me to keep a scowl from my face during the charade as I was forced into the center of attention, but every once in a while I'd catch a glimpse at Rose, and the small, amused grin tugging at her lips kept my mood at bay.

Immediately following the ceremony I was bombarded by tasks. Most of them were benign, routine undertakings to get me used to a position of authority in the kingdom, but others were necessities I had encumbered on myself. Specifically, finding out anything and everything I could about the íonachta. I had to be discreet in my findings but had managed to gather enough information about the extremist group from a variety of sources to determine our best defensive strategies. Apparently, they were engrossed in the idea of purity, which I guess is how they came up with their rather unoriginal name. Rumors of their group started as early as Rose's coronation as Princess. There were those that believed King Dragomir's choice to make his Dhampir bastard an official part of the family to be a disgraceful act to their kind and started making their disapproval of him known.

During King Dragomir's rule, the group was easily snuffed out due to the widespread love and devotion of his people; however, as soon as he and the first heir to the Dragomir line were killed the íonachta saw an advantage and preyed on the unrest in the kingdom. That was when the attack on Princess Vasilisa occurred. After their failed attempt and the arrest of some of their key members, the group dissipated and hadn't been heard from since. Though, I wasn't convinced that they were completely dissolved, even without the triskele emblem Rose and I had stumbled upon. People with such passionate ideals, however insane they may be, didn't tend to give up that easily.

I spent an unhealthy amount of time investigating the ins and outs of their former organization, hoping to find something that would lead me to answers. That combined with a plethora of our troops asking me for tips and tricks in my spare time was becoming straining. Guardian Castile in particular. After he had stumbled into my room following the arrival of Lord Ozera, he had begun asking me for other _training_ , not necessarily related to combat. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had a moment of peace to myself...not to mention a moment alone with Rose.

Although we had left things on relatively good terms at the castle, I couldn't help but feel like there was some sort of strain between us—that I undoubtedly caused. I was so wrapped up in my own messed up shit that I didn't realize how much I was shutting her out. It was an old habit that I had regrettably reverted back to after the battle and I felt ashamed and cowardly for treating Rose that way.

I had been desperately trying to steal a moment away with her so I could clear the air, but every time I thought I'd have a chance, someone or something pulled us away. That was until Vasilisa unknowing me granted me the perfect opportunity.

"Please, Rose. Just for an hour or two, that's all. He won't be a burden," the princess whined.

"I don't know, Liss. It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."

"Since when has that ever stopped you."

A cheeky grin formed on both of the sister's faces as I approached one of the awnings at the training camp. The weather had become significantly colder and Vasilisa was perched next to one of the burning fire pits with her heavy cloak tightly wrapped around her. Rose was still stubbornly sporting one of her lighter, spring cloaks but the cold didn't seem to bother her. Sometimes I got the feeling that below that tanned skin and toned muscular build she was made of pure fire.

"Ah High Constable Belikov," Vasilisa greeted and I flinched at the still unfamiliar title. "Perhaps you can help settle our debate."

"Please Princess, Dimitri is fine," I politely insisted for the hundredth time. I was starting to think her and Rose were in on some little game where they continued to call me by that ridiculous title just to make me uncomfortable. And by the sly grin inching up Rose's cheeks, it was easy to assume my guess had been correct. "I would be happy to help in any way I can."

"I was just telling Rose how much it would mean to me if she would allow Lord Ozera to participate in one of your training sessions with the other men. He's been anxious to get out of the confines of the castle and I think it would be a great way for you two to get to know him better." Vasilisa brought her arms up to cross proudly over her chest as she finished the closing point of her case.

"And I say," Rose jumped in, "that it's a terrible idea. What if he gets pissed off and sets one of my men ablaze? Or better yet, the entire fighting ring? It would take like," she looked up and counted off on her fingers, "three whole days to rebuild it."

"Oohh, Rose three whole days," the princess sarcastically gasped. "How will you ever find the time?"

Rose let out a light-hearted chuckle and flipped her hair over her shoulder. I found myself yearning to reach out and touch it—so I plunged my fists into my pockets to avoid any absurd temptations.

"Well, Dimitri," Rose evenly asked. "What do you think?"

The two ladies seemed to be in airy spirits, but it was clear Rose still held some real hesitance about letting the young lord attend our training sessions. I could understand her reservations after seeing him fight in the field, although he was quite brave his actions were a bit uncalculated at times and a little sloppy. However, as I regarded Rose, I could see in her eyes that she was asking my opinion earnestly, not just because she wanted someone to agree with her.

"I think the princess has a good point," I confidently responded. "In his kingdom, many Moroi and Dhampir fight side-by-side more often than not, so I don't see any harm in him giving it a try."

Vasilisa let out an excited squeal and clasped her hands together as she eagerly waited for Rose to comply.

"Fine," Rose let out an exaggerated sigh before jerking her arm up and pointing her finger sternly at me. "But you'll be on standby with buckets of water for agreeing to this absurd idea."

"Gladly." I maintained a lighter tone to avoid offending the princess, but in the back of my mind, I was already calculating how many extra buckets we would need in case of an emergency.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Vasilisa sputtered out. "I'll go tell him now. You won't regret this, Rose."

"I better not," the Dhampir warrior called out to her sister as she scurried away.

Once the princess was gone, Rose took a step towards me and lowered her voice. "So, do you _really_ think there's no harm in letting him practice magic out here?"

I spotted her hand sneak up under her hair to rub the back of her neck, something she did when she was trying to work a problem out. It was one of her many tells I had started to recognize. Like the way she drummed her fingers on the top of her thigh when she was close to losing her patience, how most nights the moon seemed to almost offend her, where a soft hum would seep out of her on days when we were under the sun. So many details that I had never bothered to notice in anyone before. But each resonated just as deep as the last.

"No, not necessarily," I admitted. "But Vasilisa's right that it could help you to get to know him better, and it seems important to her. And what's important to her is often important to you."

She peered up at me with that surprised look she sometimes got when I unknowingly dissected her. Her eyes narrowed as if she was trying to search for some kind of secret skill or device I was holding on to before her lips cracked into a mischievous smile. "Well, I guess it's impossible to argue with that logic, Zen Master Belikov."

I shook my head at yet another one of her ridiculous nicknames as I teetered on the line between exasperation and adoration and headed off to gather a few men to help me at the well.

/

Rose really was an incredible leader. She called out orders and corrections when necessary but had an act for letting the men make their own mistakes. It was easier to learn not to show certain tells when you got the wind knocked out of you for it rather than someone just blurting it out beforehand.

It was hard not to become entranced as I watched her take charge of the men, her strength being one of the many things that drew me to her.

I was forced to take the lead on Christian's training. Although I had little experience myself fighting alongside a magic user—Natasha, Christian's aunt one of the only few trained warriors I had met and even then it was just in a practice ring and she had taken the lead—I guess still, some experience was better than none. Natasha's presence in Novgorod had spurred Ivan into wanting to try combat himself. He had fighting skills that he and I had practiced together in my free time throughout the years, but had yet to perfect the use of his magic before he was killed. I thought that settling back in this role with Christian would trigger some unwelcome memories, but it actually became somewhat therapeutic. Where normally the similarities of the situation would have made me angry or guilt-ridden, I felt purposeful and excited to see the young Moroi's progress.

"Take that fucker!" Christian used his flames to singe the shoulder of a dummy we had created out of an old scarecrow and some extra wooded reinforcement. I had been trying to get him to target specific areas in smaller bursts rather than using too much energy on one giant inferno.

"Very good. Now aim for the left thigh," I instructed.

"The leg won't really do much damage, will it?" Christian eyed me speculatively.

"No, not really. But it will bring their gaze down and distract them long enough for a Guardian to finish them off with a charmed weapon. Try a small flame but keep it burning hot."

Christian nodded and fixed his gaze on the dummy. An orange flame around the size of an apple lit right where I had instructed. The Moroi's brow scrunched in concentration as his eyes narrowed on his target, causing the flame to quickly morph from blazing red into searing blue. As the small flame licked the dummy I could almost feel its heat from where we were standing. After only a few moments Christian's shoulders went slack and the flame dissipated.

"How's that for hot," he huffed with a smirk.

"Not bad sparky," Rose's voice called out from behind us.

We both turned with a jolt, neither of us realizing she had been watching. It brought me back to some of my first few days of training when I would spot her across the yard, always keeping one eye on the so-called troublemakers of the group. Back when she had deemed me as one of such.

"Ha. That was _almost_ a compliment. Coming from you, I guess I should count myself lucky."

"You should count yourself lucky that she hasn't thrown a dagger at you yet," I mumbled under my breath.

"Hey, if I remember correctly no one died and you totally deserved it," Rose defended, raising her hands to her jutted hips. I couldn't help but smile at her, despite the fact that she was telling me I deserved to have a razor sharp knife thrown at my face.

"Well, speaking of daggers," Christian interjected, "they happen to be my specialty."

"Is that so?" Rose moved her arms to cross around her chest and began walking in a small circle around the proud Moroi. "Then by all means," she reached around her back and pulled out three small daggers from her belt and tossed them at Christian's feet, "show us what you got."

It never ceased to amaze me how many weapons seemed to materialize out of nowhere around her. Christian sunk down and picked up the daggers, tossing them in his hand and catching them by the hilt one-by-one as if he was examining their weight and sturdiness before slinging them towards the singed dummy. The first two landed directly in the middle of the chest and as he threw the last one he spun around and tossed it directly into the head.

When he was finished he took a gallant bow in front of Rose as Vasilisa began applauding from the outskirts of the training field.

"Well done, Christian!" The princess' grin practically spread from ear to ear as she gushed over the dark-haired Moroi.

"Thank you, your Highness." He gave her a small wink before turning his attention back to Rose, expectantly waiting for some sort of praise. I didn't have to tell him he'd be sorely disappointed before Rose spoke up again.

"Yeah, yeah. That's all fine and well if your enemy is a motionless heap of pinewood," she saucily retorted. "But unfortunately Strigoi won't stand still so the Grand Duke of Inferion can sink a dagger into its chest."

I could tell an equally sarcastic quip was on the tip of Christian's tongue, but Rose didn't give him the chance to reply. "Let's see how you can handle a moving target." She shrugged her cloak off her shoulders and motioned Ashford over with a bundle of more daggers.

I immediately knew what she was about to do and it took everything within me to hold in my protest. She was equally confident as she was reckless in that moment and I was wary of her getting hurt; however, Christian was the one who voiced his objections.

"Uhh what? Are you nuts? I can't throw daggers at you."

"How come, _Lord Ozera_? Scared I might make you look like an outright caffler?"

Unsurprisingly, Rose seemed to know exactly where to jab this guy in order to piss him off enough to do what she wanted. Christian snatched the daggers from Ashford and marched over to the other side of the field. As she began to take position on the opposite end, I caught her arm and brought her close enough for me to whisper a refute into her ear.

"Rose, are you sure about this?"

"Of course, Coimheach. It'll be a piece of cake. Besides, weren't you the one who said there was no harm in letting him participate in training?" A self-assured grin formed on her face causing me to let out an uncontrollable sigh in response.

"You know this isn't what I had in mind."

"Well, my apologies for your short-sightedness," she sniggered as she sauntered by me to take position across from Christian.

"This outta be good," Mason moved to stand beside me and nudged my shoulder with his. "She pulled the same shit with me back when we were still novices."

"And how did that work out for you," I asked, keeping my eyes trained on Rose at the other end of the field.

The ginger Dhampir let out a small laugh as he said, "She embarrassed the hell out of me in front of our superiors actually. But the next few weeks I spent countless hours perfecting my skills until I was one of the top in our regiment. So really, I should've thanked her for it."

I let out a knowing hum in response and relaxed slightly at his anecdote. Although I still felt like she was being a bit too careless with her well-being, I had to trust her impeccable skills to keep her unharmed.

"Give it your best shot fire boy," she shouted across the yard.

Not a moment later Christian launched at dagger directly at Rose. Without much effort, she dodged and began making her way towards one of the wooden pillars. Another dagger flew at her but she deftly avoided it as the blade sunk into the post with a thud. She began using some of the obstacles set up to alter her position in a variety of ways that would throw the Moroi off. She'd jump on top of a barrel making herself three feet taller, only to hop down and duck below a few boulders as daggers either flew straight over her head or sunk into the soil at her feet.

Her aversions were magnificent and I did my best to remain unfeeling as their ploy continued, but each time another spark of silver soared towards her my heart would clench, and each time she evaded it with ease it would swell with pride. I could see Vasilisa nearby, no doubt undergoing a range of turmoil as her bottom lip worried between her teeth. I caught her eyeing the pile of daggers near Christian, willing it to get smaller and smaller and end this torturous game those two stubborn blockheads were putting her through.

Finally, Christian was on his last dagger, frustration and sweat dripping from his brow as Rose continued to evade his assaults. A couple of his daggers had gotten surprisingly close and it was suddenly becoming hard to tell if he was holding back or not but apparently sensing the same thing, Rose gave one last attempt to push him to the edge.

"What's the matter Sparky, can't hang with the big boys?"

Christian's teeth gritted together and his icy eyes darted around as Rose continued to shuffle about. I had only been mildly worried about her getting hurt before, but as his focus began to shift on where she would go next, rather than where she was, I suddenly felt a rush of anxiety that he might actually succeed in making a direct hit.

As Christian fixed his gaze on his mark and the dagger flung from his grasp all of our breaths simultaneously stopped. Rose was running towards another obstacle within the field, but one of the pillars was blocking her way, and this time the dagger was plummeting directly towards her face.

Vasilisa let out a shrill cry that echoed across the arena and the blood seemed to completely drain from Christian's pale face. "Rose!"

The princess' cry was met with Rose's focus whipping around towards us. Noticing the dagger reaching dangerously close proximity her hand jolted up and she simultaneously turned her face away. She stayed that way, with her back turned to us, for two agonizing breaths and we were all certain that he had managed to do some real damage. However, when she slowly started to turn back around she revealed that she had somehow, miraculously caught the dagger in her hand by the hilt with the blade mere inches from her face, leaving her unscathed. Where all of us were jolting between terror and respite, the only thing that crossed Rose's features was unadulterated concentration.

As she stood there, the only movements coming from her were small heaves of her chest as her breath came and went. Her hair whipped around her with an intense glare fixed in place and I couldn't help but think she looked like some sort of vehement, captivating goddess. At that moment she resembled a dozen things. A warrior that could trample any enemy that stood in her way. A girl that was hell-bent on proving to the world that she was more than what meets the eye. A siren whose song would lure you into a deadly trance if you got too close. A woman that had completely and irrevocably stolen my heart.

A feeling stretched throughout my whole body. It was overwhelming, yet somehow made me feel complete. And as I stood there across from her I could no longer deny it. It wasn't just her reputable skill or the physical attraction I felt that had me falling deeper than I ever had before, but a combination of so many little things that came together to make this bold, entrancing woman. This woman that I desperately wanted to be mine.

Even the fact that she hated some of the things I loved made me like her even more. Whether it be playing music or reading books, some of my favorite pastimes, she would tease me relentlessly. But I didn't really care that she was laughing at my expense. I couldn't get enough of that sound.

Sometimes I thought one of the only things we truly shared a likeness in was our temper, but even then I tended to be much more in control of mine, where hers would flare up without a moment's notice. But regardless of those torrid bursts, I respected the hell out of her. I had come to value her opinions above anyone else's—even when I disagreed with them.

Really, falling in love with Rose was the easiest part. It was admitting it to myself that was hard.

 _Roza._

 _My Roza._

After a lingering moment, Rose brought the dagger down beside her and dropped it to the ground. That piercing look faded as soon as her hand fell to her side and was replaced with something far too cavalier for the situation as she said, "Not bad, Sparky. Not bad at all."

If at all possible, my heart swelled even more at the sound of her carefree voice. Her brave, warrior stance was a slap in the face to make me realize what my emotions had been screaming at me from the moment I first saw her, and her easy smile and vivacious attitude were the final drivers that would chase away any excuses my mind would try to concoct.

Then, another voice entered the conversation and my heart turned to a lead ball in my chest. "Princess Hathaway. I'm so sorry."

" _Princess Hathaway"_ , my mind repeated. _Princess_.

And suddenly I went from complete elation, to utter dread.

'

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Wicked Game by Giant Drag**

Lissa raced towards me as soon as I dropped the knife and surprisingly Christian wasn't too far behind her.

"Rose are you alright?"

"Princess Hathaway, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean—"

"First of all," I interrupted him, "don't ever call me that again. And second of all, don't ever apologize for a clean shot. That was...inspiring."

"Inspiring," Christian recalled with a cock of his eyebrow.

I took in a deep breath and finally relented to giving him what he had been craving all day. "It was good, Chris. You did well."

Then, I immediately regretted it.

"HA! You hear that folks. The notorious Marshall Hathaway thinks I'm actually a capable being. Round up the cavalry."

"Don't get ahead of yourself now. You still have a lot to learn, which I'm sure Belikov here would be happy to teach you," I gestured towards the towering Guardian as he steadily made his approach beside Mason. Christian turned towards Dimitri with an amused smile still fixed in place, but Lissa's eyes widened so large I thought her forehead would disappear as my hair blew back from my face.

"Rose, you're hurt!"

I reached up following the trail of her gaze and felt a stream of blood trickling down from my forehead.

"Aw, shit. Looks like the last one knicked you. I'll go get something for it. I think I saw a medical station set up," Christian offered before turning on his heel and heading back towards the castle.

Lissa's eyes darted along my face as she examined the wound worriedly.

"It's nothing," I tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, don't worry Princess. Rose here has seen much worse in her day," Mason added but apparently, it went unnoticed. Lissa's jade eyes narrowed with concentration and she took a step closer to me. Her right hand slowly began to rise towards me and I started to feel a familiar tingling sensation rise through the bond.

"No."

I spoke sternly causing her hand to freeze in the air, but she didn't lower it just yet. "Rose, let me heal it. It won't take much for such a small wound."

"No Lissa. I'll be fine. It doesn't matter how much you use, you know the magic comes with a cost." I reached up and gently pulled her hand back down to her side.

Her nostrils flared a little in agitation, but she didn't try to make a move for the cut again.

"Fine, if you're going to be that way then Guardian Belikov," she turned her attention to him and it was then I finally noticed he was observing us in that curious way he did sometimes, "I'm charging you with making sure that she gets that cut tended to. Don't let her out of your site until she does. Understood?"

It was obvious Lissa was trying to sound as serious as possible but it was hard not smile at her with her nose turned up like that and the small huffs that came out of her in frustration. Dimitri was much better at hiding his amusement than I was as he sternly replied, "Of course, your highness," saving the small grin tugging at his lips for when her back was finally turned.

"Where are you going," I called after her as she began to practically stomp away.

"I'm going to check on the others at the med bay." By others I knew she meant Lord Ozera.

"You better keep your hands to yourself," I scolded, the double meaning in that statement becoming painfully obvious. "I'll be watching you." I pointed to the side of my head for emphasis.

"Yes _mother_ ," she exaggeratedly whined. I wouldn't have been surprised if she stuck her tongue out at me as well with how childish she was acting, but knew it was just frivolity.

I stood there smiling and shaking my head as my best friend's pace daintily quickened down the pavement, but before she got too far I turned to Mason and shot him a hushed order. "Go with her and keep an eye out." He compiled without hesitation and subtly followed after her. So far, there hadn't been any signs of foul play behind the walls of the Dragomir Kingdom, but I wasn't taking any chances with my sister's life.

When she was finally out of sight I looked over to my right to see Dimitri still standing there, but as soon as my eyes met his, he darted his face away.

I had been spending the last six and a half days—not that anyone was counting—making sure Dimitri and I were never left alone so that I could have the space I needed to sort out my crazy emotions. I had about a thousand other things that I should have been directing my focus towards and was trying with everything within me to block out these rising desires for him. I was afraid if I got sucked into those deep, mahogany eyes that I would make another rash decision like I had in the woods. So, I figured all I had to do was avoid him. However, now that he was here and refusing to look me in the eye, there was nothing I wanted more than to catch a glimpse.

"Well, you heard her," he gently broke the silent tension and tilted his head towards one of the medical stations we had set up around camp. He began walking towards it when I finally found my voice.

"Actually," I called after him, halting his stride. "I had something I wanted to talk to you about anyways. Could I just borrow some supplies from your quarters again? If you're running low I'll be happy to replenish them."

His eyebrows slightly raised in surprise; understandably, seeing how the last time I was wounded he had to practically drag me to his tent and here I was suggesting it. He dipped his head speculatively and responded, "Sure. There's no need, I still have plenty."

"Great," I strolled ahead and began making my way towards his tent, Dimitri's feet remained stuck in place for an instant before taking a few long steps to fall beside me.

\

His brow was furrowed in concentration as he cleaned the cut on my head. That look somewhat reminding me of Lissa's but where her jade eyes had a hint of excitement behind them at the anticipation of using her magic, Dimitri's soft brown ones held a sense of nervousness. Almost as if he were afraid he would hurt me if he made a wrong move.

"I think the initial impact just caused a spurt of bleeding, head wounds can do that. It's already starting to close," he explained, most likely to ease whatever misgivings he thought I had about it. However, as he spoke I became acutely aware of how close his face was to mine and could feel my pulse begin to rise—probably not the best for my wound.

"So what was it you needed to talk to me about." I was so caught up in Dimitri's gentle touch along my forehead I had momentarily forgotten about my original intent in coming here and had to blink a few times to realign my thoughts.

"Oh, right," I cleared my throat to rid the shakiness in my voice. "I was wondering if you had heard anything from your friends back home. The bonded pair."

He nodded to himself and leaned back to grab a dry piece of cloth off his desk before moving his hand back up to my cut. "I sent a letter through my family, but my sister responded saying Mark and Oksana had left the village for a few weeks with some others to engage in trade at a nearby kingdom. She assured me she would deliver my message as soon as they returned though." His eyes moved from his work to meet mine for an instant as he asked. "Why? Did something happen?"

"Would a formal invitation from Lissa pique their interest?" I hadn't meant to avoid his question necessarily, but I was anxious to get answers. Dimitri looked at me for a lingering moment slightly uneasily, so I tried to amend my former pushiness.

"I don't want to pressure them into coming here, but any new information they can provide us would be a huge help. Lissa's magic is growing stronger, but so are the side effects." Understanding crossed his features at that last statement and he gave me a small, yet reassuring nod.

Dimitri didn't speak after that, he just continued to tend to my wound as we sat there in silence. He often grew quiet and guarded when the topic of his family and loved ones from home were brought up. It was one of the many ways he saw as protecting them I supposed. But he didn't have to say anything else. I knew he would do what I asked and help Lissa and me in any way he could. He had given me his word that day in the woods and I completely trusted him to hold it.

As he completed his task, I looked over his shoulder noticing a fresh patch stitched together at the back of his tent and held in a smile at the memory of my creative escape. I wasn't sure which was funnier, the fact that I had torn the hole or the visual of Dimitri with a needle and thread in his large hands. When he was finally finished he sat back in his stool and examined his handy work one last time, lightly grazing his fingertips over the skin around my cut. I suppressed a shiver and decided engaging in an awkward conversation was the best way to ease the tension he was unknowingly causing me.

"Soooo," I smoothly started. "About last week..."

"I know, Rose," he said stiffly, his hand coming down from my face to grip his thigh. "It can never happen again."

"Oh." I hadn't expected that response. As hard as he tried to keep me with him that next morning, I would've thought he'd _want_ to be with me again. Even though I had been the one adamant about it being something we couldn't continue, hearing him say so as well suddenly made me feel...undesirable. A feeling I definitely was not accustomed to.

"I heard your reasons that night and I'm not unrealistic." His gaze was fixed on the ground, making it hard to decipher what he was thinking, but I could've sworn I heard a twinge of disappointment in his tone. "I understand the responsibilities you have and getting involved with someone like me would only complicate them. I can only hope that I haven't done anything to mar our relationship. Professionally I mean," he stumbly added.

"Not that I think we should _only_ have a professional relationship. I value your friendship as well, Rose." Dimitri's voice was quickly rising and his hands began nervously moving from his lap to the back of his shoulder. One thing became completely apparent—Dimitri Belikov was nervous.

Seeing him in this rambling state was not only endearing but oh _so_ satisfying. He was constantly finding ways to unnerve me and turn me into a rattled mess and finally being on the other end of the spectrum had me grinning like a queen's fool.

"The way I acted in the woods was uncalled for. I shouldn't have pushed you away like that, but I also know there needs to be a line drawn between us." Dimitri's hand ran through that silky hair of his and I could tell he was forcing himself to stay seated instead of getting up and pacing like he sometimes did when he was tense.

He tried to get his point across again, but just ended up sputtering, "I just hope—What I'm trying to say is—"

Deciding to finally put him out of his poor, helpless misery I leaned forward, closing the growing gap between us and pressed those worried lips to mine. He froze in surprise at first and I found myself silently cheering for catching him off guard once again, but he quickly relaxed and melted into my tender movements. After a short moment, I pulled back while maintaining our close proximity and waited for his eyes to slowly open. "Actually, I was going to ask if we could try something else."

Curiosity danced through his eyes as he remained within a breath's reach of my lips. "If you haven't guessed by now, I find you attractive, and it's totally obvious you think the same of me," I gave him a saucy smirk, earning a deep chuckle from him in return. "I've thought about it and I don't really see the harm in us indulging in some extracurricular activities outside of work."

I had been fighting the pull to him relentlessly, but it suddenly dawned on me that rather than stay away from him why not just give in to this physical connection we both craved and take control of my unraveling desires before they controlled me.

I half expected him to come back with some cocky remark like, " _I knew you'd be back for more,"_ or " _couldn't resist me huh?"_ But instead he just smiled, that full beaming smile that I had only seen a couple times before letting out a small, surprised breath and gently cupping my face to pull my lips back to his.

His maneuvers were more confident now and I could feel myself quickly molding into him. Dimitri's hands moved from my face to trace the outline of my silhouette but his lips were somewhat softer than the other times we had been together, a new type of emotion other than pure lust guiding his actions. I tried to ignore that small change and reveled in the feel of finally being this way with him again. His hands moved under my shirt and I finally caved into that small shiver as his fingertips grazed the sides of my breasts.

Before things escalated to where we both knew they were heading, he moved his hands to my bare back and pulled his lips away just enough to rest his forehead against mine.

"Are you sure about this, Marshall," he huskily asked.

"What's a quick fuck between two colleagues every now and then," I brashly responded.

"Who said anything about it being quick," that rousing statement sent a flash of heat between my thighs before he pulled me back in for a deeper kiss. His tongue plunged into my mouth making it impossible to hold back an appreciative moan and I found myself clinging to any part of him I could find. My mind was becoming dizzy, all of my senses flooded with all things Dimitri, but I somehow managed to make out one last point I had meant to breach.

"Just promise me one thing," I pulled back, still breathless from his kiss.

"What's that," he asked against my skin, his lips roaming down my neck as my head tilted to allow him access.

"Don't go falling in love with me."

He paused for a moment, his chin still nuzzled against my shoulder and my eyes fluttered open at his unnerving silence. His face rose back up to meet mine and his mouth arched into one of his cocky smirks that I was admittedly starting to find incredibly sexy. "Of course, your Highness."

I couldn't stop my eyes from rolling at that mirrored response he had just used on Lissa, and briefly wondered if it was constructed to be facetious and taunt me with my royal title, or if it was his subtle way of saying he wasn't making any promises.

But as his lips continued their original quest down my throat, his tongue joining the fray as he made his way across my collar bone and lower still, I completely forgot about anything else other than the feel of his warm breath against my skin.

* * *

 **A/N:** Dimitri's rebec playlist just went from angsty 80's rock to hopeless love songs XD

Any guesses as to what "training" Eddie and Dimka are getting into?

A special thank you to the HW godmother for her help with yet another DPOV. He's a tricky one to figure out. Next chapter we'll have an introduction to a newcomer at St. Vlad's!

Thanks to everyone out there reading :)

Translations:

caffler - arsehole, idiot


	20. Chapter 20

**Part 1 Chapter 20**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Tell Me, Sara by Evan P Donohue, Every Night by Josef Salvat, Keep Lying by Donna Missal**

Over the next couple of weeks, training began to slow down as several men were inducted as official Dragomir Guardians. I was more than pleased by the progress we had made those few short months and liked to think it was partly due to the extra work Dimitri and I had put in to improve the skills of our new recruits. There were still some that needed a little more work before becoming a full-fledged Guardian, but overall we had commissioned more Guardians than ever before in such a short span of time. Even Victor was impressed.

Even though official training instruction with the troops was slightly reduced during the week, Dimitri and I still maintained a steady cadence and tried to host as many sessions that would allow in between our other responsibilities around the kingdom. I was proud to see how well the men had taken to his authority, even those that had been in the regiments for several years listened to his instruction without hesitation, but admittedly I was most proud of the man Dimitri had finally revealed himself to be. It was hard to believe this was the same Dhampir that had me practically pulling my hair out in frustration at his insubordinate mannerisms and complete lack of motivation. Now he was truly my right-hand and cared just as much about these men as I. It felt like everything was flowing as it should and I was finally in complete control.

And as far as outside of work, well— _controlled_ isn't exactly how I'd describe it. Despite the comforts my room at the castle provided, I found myself journeying to Dimitri's tent more often than not. There was no set schedule, no limits, and absolutely no sign of it slowing down. I couldn't get enough of him.

Each time with him was just as earth-shattering as the last. We were always in complete, rapturous sync and he had this inexplicable way of knowing exactly what I wanted, and how I wanted it. There were many nights I laid in my bed, trying to force myself to stay put and slow down before we became too engrossed, but each night the outcome was the same. After a few agonizing moments of counting the wooden pillars on the ceiling, I'd fling myself from my bed and make my way to him.

As the colder weather approached, camp became slightly less crowded making it easier for me to sneak in and out. Those that weren't as accustomed to the frigid air were offered shared lodging in nearby establishments, where others found clever workarounds to maintain their private quarters.

As High Constable, Dimitri was entitled to a room at the castle but for some reason, he chose to stay down at camp. Maybe it was his Rus heritage that made him more resilient to the cold, or maybe it was that mysterious warmth that constantly radiated from him, either way, he was nothing but prepared. The array of furs on his bed and Daisy's occasional company were often enough to keep Dimitri's tent plenty warm, and on particularly cold days he would fuel a brazier to add a boost of heat.

I was always disappointed to leave, especially since that meant he had to cover up that gorgeous body and get dressed. It really should have been considered a sin to keep those taut muscles and tanned skin hidden from sight. And that ass! God just the sight of those tight buns were enough to make me want to jump him and ravage his entire body.

I knew he appreciated mine just as much. I'd caught on to the quiet moans that escaped him each time I slipped another piece of clothing off, and the mournful groans every time I put them back on. One morning he seemed particularly resilient to let me go, but to my dismay, I had responsibilities I couldn't blow off.

"Just stay a little bit longer," he propositioned again, running his fingers along my bare waist.

"Hmm. If I do, what's in it for me," I teased, knowing full well what he'd have in store if I stuck around.

"You should know by now, Roza," his hand moved towards my inner thigh, his lips deliciously grazing my jawline, "when it comes to me, you can have anything you want."

A shaky breath slipped out of my lips and a faint tingle coursed through me in anticipation of his movements. I was already running late to meet Victor and Natalie and told Dimitri just that—twice—so I should have pushed him away, but instead, I found myself saying, "Anything?"

I could feel his lips crack into a smile against my neck as his kisses began fortifying his persuasive ploy. As much authority we commanded in every other aspect of our lives, in these moments together we were completely under each other's mercy. We both had developed the ability to pinpoint each other's exquisite weaknesses, and weren't ashamed to use them to get what we wanted.

It was a constant battle for sovereignty that we played, who was going to bend the other's will to theirs, and this time Dimitri was winning. That grin pressed against my collar revealed he knew it too.

"Yes, Roza. Anything," his hand deftly slid up my leg, his touch painfully close to the place I craved it most. "All you have to do is say it."

My head pressed into his pillow, his musky scent accentuating the light touches of his mouth and fingertips along my body.

"So tell me," Dimitri's fingers crept across my skin, parting the way to their conquest before nimbly rolling them along one of those weak spots he'd discovered. I let out a sharp gasp in immediate reaction to his tormenting maneuvers as a light fluttering began building in my lower abdomen.

"What do you want, Roza," he prompted before his tongue lightly traced down my stomach and further still to replace the torturous movements his fingers had started. That fluttering erupted into something far more intense and this time I rasped out his name. Dimitri moaned against me—he always loved hearing me say his name as he pleasured me, the breathlessness in my voice usually sending him into a frenzy—and the vibrations from his appreciative grumble had me fisting the sheets.

"I want—I want," my chest heaved as he continued his strokes and his rough hands moved to tightly grip my ass, raising me even closer against his wet, hot mouth. "Fuck! I want you," I finally blurted out.

He didn't waste a moment. Dimitri moved his palms back to my inner thighs and pushed them apart as he raised himself up towards me. He pressed against my opening with his rock hard shaft, making it immediately apparent that he wanted me just as much as I wanted him. But still, he hesitated there at the brink of victory as he brought his forehead down to mine.

"Are you sure Roza," he questioned with a chaste kiss against my lips. "What about your meeting?"

He was teasing me. We both knew there was no way I'd be able to leave now even if the entire camp was on fire, but he couldn't resist the chance to make me admit defeat. "Hell, I'm already late anyways," I moved my hips up, sliding him into me the tiniest bit causing his eyes to screw shut and a pained groan to escape. "What's a few more minutes?"

His brown eyes snapped open and darkened with hunger. A wolfish grin spread across his features as he said, "That's my girl."

Before he could continue what he'd clearly intended, I placed my palm over his chest, feeling his heart beating almost frantically underneath my fingers. I pushed him back, not enough to actually move him away, but enough to stop him from getting any closer. His brow momentarily furrowed in confusion, his whole body tensing. I let him stew for a few seconds, knowing he was probably thinking I'd shockingly changed my mind about those few extra minutes after all. My impatience got the better of me though so I proudly pushed out, "I'm nobody's girl."

His eyes locked on mine, staring deep into me as he searched for an answer to whatever questions were building in his mind. That intense look had a way of pinning me in place, making me unsure as what to do or how to feel, so I just stared back at him defiantly. Whether he found the answer he was looking for or not, a sly smirk tugged at the corner of his lips and he moved back down towards me, "We'll see about that."

Then without another word from either of us, he plunged into me causing us both to cry out in satisfaction.

/

A few minutes turned into 27 and Victor was practically pacing when I finally arrived.

When his eyes landed on me entering the grand hall he hopped over and pulled me towards him for a hushed conversation, "You're late."

"Sorry, I got tied up," I smiled to myself remembering just how tangled Dimitri and I had gotten. "Is she here yet?"

"Any minute now."

And without a minute to spare, the doors flung open with Christian marching in proudly. It was a complete contrast to the last time he had waltzed through this room, but I supposed it was because he had started to become much more comfortable here. He and Dimitri seemed to be getting along quite well and Christian was seen regularly down at camp alongside the other Dhampirs. Some of the more traditional Nobles tended to turn their noses up at the notion, but it didn't seem to bother the young Lord in the least.

Another tall, slender figure followed him in, this time without the overbearing and unnecessary cavalry in the form of hulking Guardian Knights. We straightened up as they approached and I began to take in the details of his companion. The resemblance was uncanny. Her piercing blue eyes were unmistakable even from across the room, but where Christian's were often muted under his dark brows, hers were highlighted through her long flowing lashes and high set cheekbones. She had straight raven hair that fell past her shoulders on one side and was shaved short on the other. Not a typical hairstyle for a royal Moroi, it was actually more fitting for a Viking shield maiden, but Natalie _had_ mentioned she was more of a warrior than a Lady. As she strolled closer it became apparent how beautiful she really was—and when she was mere feet away, something else became even more apparent.

Across her left cheek were faded purplish scars, almost as if someone had bitten into her face and pulled out part of her cheek. They were long since healed now, but the evidence was clear as day. I could see how to some it would be slightly unsettling, but Natasha seemed to wear them as a badge of honor, with her chopped hair on that side almost spotlighting them and a broad smile plastered on her face. Even before she spoke, I had to admit I admired her.

"Lady Ozera, welcome," Victor pleasantly greeted.

"Lord Dashkov. I'm so pleased to finally be meeting you. I hope my nephew here hasn't been too much of a bother." A playful grin slid across her beaming white teeth as her hand came up to Christian's shoulder.

"Of course not," Natalie chirped. "We've very much enjoyed having him here."

Lady Ozera's focus moved to my cousin as she warmly said, "And Natalie, it's so good to see you again. I hope you've been well since you last journeyed to Inferion."

"Quite well, thank you, Natasha," Natalie said proudly. It was easy to tell she was fond of our new visitor and was trying her best to not dominate the conversation with one of her overbearing, yet endearing rambles.

Natasha's crystal eyes finally eased over to me and I found myself standing up a little straighter under their piercing survey. "And as I've already had the pleasure of meeting your sister, that must make you Rosemarie."

"Rose," I corrected as I gave her a brisk curtsy.

She excitedly walked to stand in front of me and held out her hand. Hesitantly, I took it and reciprocated her spirited shake. "I've heard so many things about you, Rose." She leaned in a little closer and dipped her head as she quietly added, "Don't worry, it was all good."

"No it wasn't," Christian huffed from behind her, but her light-hearted grin and eye-roll had me somehow smiling back at this mysterious stranger.

She moved a few more steps back to stand beside her nephew but didn't take her eyes off me. "Vasilisa is helping the other travelers get settled and will be meeting us for lunch later. She said that you and Natalie might be up for showing me around the kingdom in the meantime if that isn't too much trouble?"

"No trouble at all," Natalie answered for the both of us and began leading the way out of the great hall.

While we walked along, I couldn't help but fall into an easy rhythm with Natasha. As hard as I tried to find fault in her, as I did when meeting most strangers, I came to realize she was actually quite agreeable. She spoke of her kingdom confidently without sounding too cocky, was full of interesting anecdotes that had me engrossed, and seemed to be genuinely impressed with her surroundings, even though I knew our kingdom was relatively humble compared to some others she must have seen. It was hard not to like her.

After showing her a few of the provincial establishments near the castle, we began making our way over to the market. Many of the locals would set up booths with an array of goods they wished to barter and we thought it would be a good way for her to meet some of the townsfolk. It was bustling that day and I could see several of my men taking full advantage of their day off.

We began walking over to some of them to say a quick hello when our course was halted by Lady Ozera. Her feet lodged in place and her crystal eyes lit up as she spotted something across the way—or I should say, _someone_. Curious as to what had captured her attention, I followed her gaze to find it landing on another group of Dhampir, this one containing none other than Dimitri.

"Dimka," she called out in his direction. I began to think she had gotten his name wrong and was about to correct her when instead, the broad Dhampir reacted. Dimitri's head turned around just as she began to rush towards him and to my complete, utter astonishment the same excitement was reflected in him as well. It may not have been as desperate and pathetic as hers, but it was still there.

Lady Ozera reached up towards him and pulled him in for a tight hug. He reached around with one arm and gently returned her embrace before pulling back to face her. "Tasha, it's so good to see you."

Then suddenly, without warning, the admiration I had slowly built up for Natasha Ozera throughout the day turned to disdain.

"It's been far too long, Dimka."

As we watched them embrace, Natalie leaned her head towards my shoulder and whispered, "Um, what's a _Dimka_?"

My back went rigid at the sight of them together and my hands curled into fists in response. "I have no idea," I gritted through my ground teeth.

"I can't believe you traveled this far West. And to think, you once said anywhere further West of Riga wasn't worth the journey," she laughed, one of her hands still resting on his shoulder and I bit the inside of my cheeks to hold in a snarl.

"Well, things change." Dimitri was still smiling at the raven-haired woman, but something in his expression turned slightly more somber. Tasha's instantly mimicked his and they seemed to be sharing some sort of bleak understanding.

My lungs began working overtime and it suddenly felt like someone was sitting on my chest.

"Why on earth would you ever think that," Natalie piped in. "There are so many glorious countries between here and Kiev. Hungary, Luneburg, Francia—"

As if just remembering we were still there Tasha turned around with surprise at the sound of Natalie's voice, then gently interrupted her before my friend went off on a tangent. "Ladies, if you don't mind I think I'll finish up the tour with Guardian Belikov. Not that I haven't enjoyed your company, I would just very much like to catch up with an old friend."

She looked up to Dimitri again and gave him a congenial smile. I pressed the heels of my feet into the soft earth to keep myself from launching at her as I curtly replied, "Sure."

Without turning back towards us she said, "Great. Hopefully, Dimitri here hasn't been too much of a loner and actually knows his way around."

Her teasing brought the upbeat tone back to his voice. "I assure you, I do."

Natalie bid them a cordial farewell as they headed off, but there was no room for politeness left in me. Dimitri glanced over his shoulder back towards me, but before I could catch a glimpse of those alluring brown eyes I turned away and marched in the opposite direction, not wanting him to see the disgust and hatred I suddenly had for his so-called _friend_.

/

I should have gone back to the castle and found something to bide my time, it's what I had planned to do at least; but instead, I ended up in the middle of the market just a few yards away from Dimitri and Natasha.

I'm not sure what was propelling me to act so possessive and insane, but I couldn't just sit around not knowing what they were up to. I weaved through some of the townsfolk, keeping my hood up to avoid any attention from patrons that might recognize me. I stayed to the edges of the trading booths, occasionally pretending to be interested in whatever goods they were showcasing so I could listen in on Dimitri and his hoor.

So far they hadn't really talked about much. Dimitri would point out areas of the village as they walked and Lady Ozera would express her _deep_ interest, hanging on every damn word. Occasionally she would talk about things that were going on in Inferion since they'd last seen one another or ask about one of his sisters, but overall their conversation remained light. That was until she broached a more serious topic.

"Dimitri. I—" she stumbled to get out at first, "I'm so sorry about Ivan."

His shoulders tensed and I could see the slightest tick of his jaw from across the way.

 _Ivan_.

It was a name I had heard once before. When Dimitri had told me about the fall of his kingdom. Ivan was his best friend and had passed away the day the Mongolian army took over. I had been curious about him ever since and could tell there was more to the story than Dimitri had revealed, but I didn't approach him about it again. The last time I had pressured him into talking about his scar he had completely shut down, and I didn't want to put salt on a wound he was still trying to nurture.

I walked closer to one of the merchant booths that was surrounded by an array of wooden bird cages. There was a surly man seated at a table with a mix of yellow, blue, and red exotic birds fluttering around in their captivities, but he didn't seem to pay me any mind. He began fishing out some seeds to feed his fluttering companions so I took the opportunity to peer out from behind one of the empty cages and listen in as Natasha continued speaking.

"I know how close the two of you were, he was practically a brother to you. He was a great man, Dimitri, and his loss in this world is a true tragedy." Dimitri gave her a subtle nod but didn't meet her sincere gaze. "When I heard of Novgorod's defeat I was so worried that something terrible had happened to you and your family as well, but Karolina was kind enough to send word of your survival."

Dimitri took a step towards one of the booths supplying spices and herbs and picked up a bag as he mindlessly examined its contents. "Yes, Karo told me you two had been in touch. I hope we didn't worry you too much."

For the first time since her arrival, a timid look formed on Natasha's face as she looked down to her hands and began to nervously twiddle them. "I had hoped you and your family would have come to Inferion and stayed under our protection. Karolina said that you refused to leave, though. What changed your mind?"

Dimitri stopped his ministrations at the booth and finally turned back to Natasha. She straightened up under his gaze as she awaited his response and my hand gripped tightly around a wooden plank of the birdcage. I leaned my head away from it, anticipating what his response would be when suddenly I felt a small tap on my shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

My body froze in place. I knew I had been caught but didn't want to fully admit it in case there was still a chance I could get out of this unscathed. I slowly turned around to the familiar voice to meet Eddie's expectant gaze peering at me with a half-cocked eyebrow and his arms crossed over his chest.

"W-what? I was...n-nothing." Any attempts I had at sounding confident completely fell flat and my eyes worriedly darted around. Noticing him lean to look behind me, I stepped in front of him, trying to block the view of the others from his line of sight but his superior height prevented me from doing so.

Eddie's brow furrowed slightly before he looked back down to me. "Really Rose? I thought you outgrew spying back when we were 12 years of age."

"Would you keep your voice down?!" I latched on to his arm and jerked him behind another booth a few yards away, afraid someone may have heard him call out my name.

I looked back over my shoulder to see Dimitri and Lady Ozera still engrossed in their conversation and let out a small sigh in relief.

"So, what? Another badass warrior chick comes to town and you feel the need to spy on her every move? Seems a little overzealous, even for you." A lopsided grin formed on Eddie's face as he casually leaned against a nearby pillar.

"Overzealous? Where did you learn that word? Last I checked your vocabulary didn't span past 'the dog goes woof' and 'the apple is red'."

"Ha ha very funny Hathaway," he sarcastically drawled at the recollection of our torturous linguist sessions we were forced to attend as children.

"Actually, the High Constable has been giving me reading lessons." Eddie crossed his arms over his chest and stood up proudly.

"He—he has?" It was difficult to hide my confusion. Dimitri had never mentioned it to me; not that we told each other any and every detail of our entire lives. Still, I wondered how I hadn't heard of this before.

"Yeah, well at first I went to him to ask for some help on a move you two demonstrated in training, but I saw a bunch of books in his room and asked if he'd mind tutoring me a little."

My confusion quickly turned into anxiety at the mention of Dimitri's tent, the place I had secretly spent countless nights in. "Wait, you've been inside his quarters?"

"Uh huh," he casually replied. "After the party held for Lord Ozera's arrival. It was pretty comical actually. Most of his things were thrown across the room and there was a huge slash in his tent. I guess some lass had stayed the night and ran out in a hurry." His response started out light with a chuckling tone as he reminisced, but as his eyes fell back on me and noticed the guilty look written all over me, his face fell. A dozen emotions seemed to pass through him, confusion, speculation, realization, and then complete, utter shock.

Eddie's jaw dropped and hung in the air long enough to catch flies before he practically shouted, "Holy shit! That was—you've been—"

"SHHH!" I cupped my hand over his mouth and moved him back even further from the passing crowd. I turned around to see that Dimitri and Natasha had long since gone before looking back at Eddie and lowering my hand. He ran his fingers through his yellow hair as he tried to come to terms with his new discovery. "But you're a—and he's a—"

"It's not like I planned it okay, Eddie. It's not even anything serious. We're just...fooling around."

His eyes narrowed at me, examining me as I spoke before a knowing smirk formed on his lips.

"What," I demanded, crossing my arms over my waist, feeling slightly uncomfortable under that look.

"You're into him."

"I am not!" My defensive reaction only caused that smirk to grow and he poked a finger into the side of my shoulder.

"Are too. Or you wouldn't be out here spying on him and his lady friend."

I resisted the urge to smack that self-assured look off his face and turned my torso to the side. "She is not his ' _lady friend_ '. She's just some trollop that seems hellbent on monopolizing his time."

Eddie let out a small chuckle as he teased, "Jealous much?"

"I'm feeling really stabby right now, so I suggest not messing with me."

Eddie's eyes flicked to a dagger at my hip, his smile faltering the tiniest bit. "Fine, fine," he let out a sigh. "I sure hope you know what you're doing, though. If Victor finds out he'll—"

"He won't find out," I interjected, fixing him in a charged stare.

"Hey, he won't hear it from me. No one will," he held his hands up in mock surrender. "Not only do I not want to face the wrath of you _or_ Belikov, but you're my friend, Rose." Eddie's hands came down and his broad shoulders went slack. His voice lowered an octave and he took a small, careful step towards me. "I would never do anything that would hurt you. You know that, right?"

The sincerity in his eyes sent a pang into my chest and I felt guilty for trying to strongarm him for no reason. "Of course I do. It's just that—"

It was then I suddenly realized Victor wasn't the true cause of my worries. Sure, if Victor found out I was messing around with one of my troops, my second in command no less, he wouldn't be pleased; but what scared me more was the storm building inside me every time I was around Dimitri. There were a thousand emotions constantly coursing through me, trying to tell me what I should think and do. Seeing him so comfortable with Natasha only made that storm more unpredictable, but I wasn't ready to come to terms with what those feelings really meant.

"I'm afraid," I finally said.

Eddie looked at me for a moment, a hint of sympathy crossing his features as if everything that was going on inside me was splayed out before him. _Was I really that obvious?_ I looked away for a moment, not wanting to delve deeper when Eddie wrapped one of his long arms around me and pulled me against his side. "C'mon Hathaway. What do you say you and I go do something fun?"

I looked up at him out of the crook of his shoulder to see my favorite lopsided grin plastered on his face. Whenever he wore that boyish smile I was immediately transported back to a time when our biggest care in the world was what we were going to eat for lunch after combat training, and couldn't help my lips from easing into a smile of their own. "What did you have in mind?"

/

The rest of the day had been just that. Fun.

Eddie and I had spent our time goofing off and enjoying some of the simple things the kingdom had to offer. It had been such a long time since I'd fully let loose and I couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed so hard. My spirits were almost completely lifted and I felt like the old Rose again—the one who wasn't burdened by foreign strangers and diplomatic responsibilities.

After a hearty dinner and a couple of ales, we finally parted ways and I thanked my friend for giving me an enjoyable day. I decided to take the long way home from the tavern we had dined in to savor the cool night air and left Eddie to finish off a few more tankards with some of the other men. I took a deep inhale as I walked along the gravel path past a couple of stone buildings and could sense the first snow quickly approaching. I wouldn't have been surprised if it arrived in the next few days or so. I started thinking about all the traditions my friends and family had when we were younger after the first snow fell. The path was relatively deserted during that cold night but despite the chill in the air, the sweet, snow-filled memories and frothy ale in my belly kept me feeling warm.

As I rounded another corner, I heard a sharp movement scrape against the wall, but before I could turn towards it two strong arms wrapped around my waist and plucked me out from the line of sight. His intoxicating scent immediately overpowered me and I conceded to let him pull my back up against him as he pressed into the side of the building. Dimitri's head dipped to the crevasse between my shoulder and neck, his long hair tickling my exposed skin. His tongue barely grazed the place behind my ear causing a shiver to shimmy up my spine and I rolled my head along his chest, granting him permission. When his hands slowly began to move down to my hips, his teeth delicately nipped my earlobe and he whispered, "I've been looking for you all day."

Dimitri's deep, accented voice was laced with want and desire and I could feel myself already toppling. "Is that so," I asked breathlessly as he continued kissing down my neck. He hummed in response, his chest sending vibrations into my back. I wanted nothing more than for him to take me right then and there in the alley, unafraid of anyone who might walk by and catch us in the act, but something about his words began to resonate with me in a different way.

I finally found the strength to snap out of the seductive haze he was causing and pushed away from him enough to turn and face him. I raised up on my toes until I was an inch from his hungry lips, but before I allowed his to meet with mine I brazenly said, "Was Lady Ozera's company not enough to keep you satisfied?"

Dimitri's hooded eyes opened a little wider to peer down at me as he tried to decipher the meaning behind my smartass comment. When he didn't immediately answer I squirmed out of his embrace and put some space between us.

"I would've thought ' _catching up on old times'_ would have left you satiated enough. She seems like the kind of woman who could hold her own."

Dimitri let out a small laugh, which caused a blaze to erupt within me. Noticing my rage starting to build his expression evened and he shook his head. "Tasha and I are just friends."

"So are we," I quickly bit back, gesturing between us.

"Yes. But that's different." He reached one of his hands out towards me and I took another step away, causing his face to fall and a frustrated sigh to seep out.

"Exactly how many _friends_ do you have, Coimheach?" I leaned my back against the adjacent wall and bent one of my knees so that my foot pressed into the cold stone.

"Not many," he said with a cock of his brow. My eyes needled at him and my blood began to boil. I pushed away from the wall and began to storm out of the alley when Dimitri latched on to my arm and pulled me up against him again—this time face to face. "And none like you, Roza."

"Don't condescend me," I tried to hold on to that rising anger, but under his penetrating gaze and wrapped in his secure arms it was becoming more and more difficult to sustain.

"I would never. It would only lead to more trouble for me."

I searched for any misleading tells in his eyes, but all I could see was truth with a hint of amusement behind them. I became drawn to that familiar warm brown flecked with molasses as he carefully inched closer to me. "So I take it you think I'm a troublemaker, huh?"

Dimitri's grip around me loosened as he brought a hand up towards my face and tucked a tendril of hair behind my ear. "Yes, but you're _my_ troublemaker."

I began melting under his touch, that bitter flame completely dying down to searing embers as the back of his fingers sweetly caressed my cheek. My lips began to tremble and my heart fluctuated between feeling light as air and heavy as a stone in my chest.

"I told you, I'm nobody's," I tried to say it with as much certainty as I could muster, but as he finally brought his lips down to mine we both knew this time there was absolutely no truth to that statement. I was wholly and undoubtedly his.

* * *

 **A/N** : Originally, I was not planning on any sort of lemon for this chapter, but you can blame Evan P Donohue for that sexy ass song. It practically forced me into one XD. Also, (cue the drumroll) Tasha has finally made her arrival to HW! I love the idea of her being a badass warrior chick with a shaved head lol. We'll definitely be seeing more of her soon.

And a special shoutout to miss TiA (aka smut queen) for being such a sweet, sweet friend for helping me out on this one. Anyone out there reading Mafia Wars? It's seriously one of my favorite fics in the fandom right now. Any time that's not dedicated to this story is basically spent fangirling over TiA995's hilarious and sexy rendition of our fav VA characters! Do yourself a favor and check it out if you haven't already.

Thanks to everyone out there reading!


	21. Chapter 21

**Part 1 Chapter 21**

 **CPOV**

 **Songs: My Dove, My Lamb by Phosphorescent, How Soon is Now by The Smiths**

This place.

I couldn't believe how much I had initially dreaded making the journey. I had only heard tales of the bleak and dreary Dragomir palace, but after spending just over a month there, I was already feeling more at home than I had even back in my native kingdom.

People at St. Vladimir's didn't look down on me or pity me for the sins of my parents like they did back home. There, even some of my own family members tended to stay away from me, as if I contracted some kind of contagious sickness from my mother and father's sins. Natasha was the only one who truly regarded me as a vital member of our family—and was really the only one that cared about me.

When she first told me that I would be sent to court Princess Vasilisa of the Dragomir line, I thought I was being punished. Finally being cast out of Inferion for good. If I was no longer there, then the constant reminder of what shame my parents had brought our family name would disappear with me—out of sight out of mind, right?

But I couldn't have been more wrong. I wasn't being punished. I was being rewarded.

I didn't deserve it, but I liked it.

I'm not sure how Tasha could have known how wonderful Lissa would be—especially after spending those insufferable weeks with Natalie Dashkov. Maybe my aunt's constant contact with Victor had given her better insight than I, but there's no way I could ever repay her enough. Lissa was incredible.

Not only was she the most beautiful, ethereal woman I had ever laid eyes on, but she was also kind, compassionate, steadfast, and remarkably astute—all things I was clearly not. Yet somehow, beyond all comprehension, she seemed taken with me as well. I was floored by how accepting of me she had been right from the jump and I quickly came to realize that her empathy extended to every aspect of her life. She didn't just rely on the protection of others, like many royal Moroi had begun to over the years, she truly cared about those that were meant to look out for her, rather than just purely rely on them. Especially when it came to Rose.

Lissa had opened up about their bond to me rather quickly, and I was honored she trusted me enough with such a personal experience. It impressed me even more how much the two of them would sacrifice for the other's well being. Rose would willingly lay her life down any given day in order to keep her sister safe, and Lissa consistently tried to convince Rose to let her heal her despite the toll Spirit's magic took on her. It was remarkable really.

The majority of siblings within the Ozera line were constantly fighting to be noticed and obtain more power over the others. I never knew there could be so much love and dedication instead. I admired how much the two of them cherished one another and could see Lissa, little by little, start to care for me in the same way.

I didn't deserve it, but I liked it.

Now that Tahsa was at St. Vlad's as well, I was feeling even more complacent. I was excited to show her the progress I had made with my battle skills. Back home it had merely been a means of escape, but here I felt like I could truly make a difference. After she had a chance to get through all the necessary political meetings throughout the first couple of days, I couldn't have rushed her down to the training grounds fast enough.

With the cooler weather taking over, most days were gray and overcast, allowing us to spend more time outside in the daylight hours. I never really had a preference either way, our heightened senses making either hour manageable, but I could tell the other Dhampir were glad to be out in whatever little sunlight they could get.

I was grateful for how willing Dimitri was to show Tasha around. I had been working with him regularly since Lissa convinced Rose to let me join in and from what my aunt had told me, they had trained together in the past as well.

Dimitri was a hell of a Guardian. I wasn't surprised that he became the High Constable shortly after my arrival. Yeah, he was one of the most skilled fighters I had ever met, but he was also dedicated, thorough, and surprisingly patient. I could see how he and Tasha had become friends during her time in Kiev Rus.

After walking around the majority of camp, Rose finally joined us. The differences in the Dhampirs' demeanors were a complete contrast to the other and it sometimes baffled me how the two of them managed to get along so well. Where Dimitri seemed to be more receiving and open towards us, Rose was much harder to crack. I knew it wasn't personal or because of prejudice against us—I had been around her enough to know that she wasn't nearly that petty—but rather a distrust that stemmed from her commitment to keeping her sister protected. She had slightly warmed up to me since we had that little rumble with the daggers, weirdly so, but she was still cold as ice towards Tasha. I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me, but I tried to just chalk it up to her aversion to new people.

"Marshall," Dimitri greeted as the dark-haired Dhampir made her way over. A small smile spread across her face and I was glad to see she was in lighter spirits today. She gave a slight nod towards me and Tasha, her smile stiffening as her sights landed on my aunt.

Ignoring the awkward tension, I began conversing with the three of them on some ideas I had. I was itching to start a discussion around some enhancements we could make in Moroi combat training, but before I could get to the bulk of it something else directed the attention away.

Tasha let out a small gasp as a mix of silver and white fur joined our discussion. "Oh my god, is that Daisy?"

The wolf began to strut towards us, flipping her tail at the sound of her name as Dimitri nodded in response.

"I haven't seen her since she was a pup. I can't believe how big she's gotten. I bet Vika would have thought twice about bringing her home if she knew she would grow this much." Dimitri let out a small chuckle while Rose and I stood there silently, suddenly feeling out of the loop.

As the wolf grew closer, Tasha made her way towards her and reached out a hand to stroke her back. However, before my aunt could make contact, Daisy whipped around and avoided her grasp. She didn't necessarily come across as threatening, but it was hard to take anything a giant 200 lb wolf did as anything other than aggressive when she wasn't lying down complacently.

Tasha jumped back, slightly startled as Daisy stalked away from her, all the while keeping one glaring eye fixed on my aunt. "I guess she's not as receiving as she used to be."

"Afraid not," Dimitri responded kindly.

After a lingering moment, the wolf turned her focus away from Tasha and towards Rose. Her ears perked up as she spotted the Dhampir and trotted over to her excitedly. Daisy plopped down beside her as if she was a friggin house pet and looked up at her expectantly. Rose reached down and patted her head a few times before looking back up to our uncomfortable faces.

"Don't take it personally," she said haughtily. "She's just a little abrasive when it comes to someone... _new_."

It may have been in my head, but for some reason, Rose seemed to be enjoying that little interaction way too much.

"Well, I wouldn't really characterize myself as new," my aunt defended, "but I get what you mean."

Rose decided to ignore her response and immediately turned to Dimitri instead. "I was going to go for a run through the Emerald Pines before the sun goes down. Mind if I take Daisy along?"

Dimitri shrugged nonchalantly as he said, "No bother to me. I'm sure she'd follow you even if I tried to stop her."

The two Dhampirs shared a grin, once again making me feel like I was missing a key part of the conversation.

"Oh, that sounds lovely actually. Mind if I tag along," Tasha asked, taking a couple of steps towards Rose and her wolf companion.

"Actually I was hoping to just spend a little one-on-one girl time. You understand, right?" Without giving Tasha a chance to respond she turned on her heels and sped away, Daisy casually trailing behind.

After the two of them disappeared from sight, Tasha huffed under her breath, "Girl time huh? So what does that make me?"

Dimitri gave her a sympathetic smile and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Just give her some time. She'll come around."

I'm not sure why he felt the need to defend Rose. It's not like it was his fault she was so distant towards Tasha. He couldn't control what she did. Hell, I don't think there was anyone in this world that could control that headstrong woman.

"I think I'll have better chances convincing that wolf to like me than her," Tasha laughed, but it was pretty clear to Dimitri and me that she was only partially joking.

After another few minutes of walking the grounds, Dimitri told us he had some business to take care of and we parted ways. I decided to take the opportunity to go find Lissa and spend a little alone time with her before we were all forced to yet another formal dinner that evening. Luckily for me, she wasn't too hard to find and within minutes we were walking around the front of the castle.

It still baffled me how comfortable her company was. Despite only courting for a month or so, conversation came easily between us and we never seemed to run out of things to say. I listened intently to the events of her day, no matter how droll she found them to be, and felt a jolt of warmth spread through me every time she laughed at one of my sarcastic remarks or stupid jokes. She really was too good to be true.

When she asked me about what all I had been up to throughout the day, I stuck to the bare-boned details, not wanting to bore her with things that weren't really that compelling. However, once I brought up the subject of Rose and Daisy going off for a run, her bright mood began to dim and a small frown formed on her brow.

"Is everything alright," I asked sincerely.

She looked up to me, her jade eyes shifting from contemplation to gratitude when they saw the concern that was most likely written all over me.

"It's silly," she started, turning a little shy as she swayed on her heels. _Damn, she was cute when she was shy_. "I just get a little worried about Rose when she goes into the woods this close to dark. I know she can take care of herself and would never put herself in danger—well at least serious danger," she let out a small laugh and I couldn't help but smile at the sound.

"It's stupid, right?" She looked up at me again from under her lashes and I could feel my throat tightening.

"Nothing you could ever say would be stupid." As soon as the words escaped me, I found myself mentally facepalming at how cheesy that line had sounded. _Fucking idiot_. But rather than roll her eyes at me, or tell me to shut up, her grin spread from ear to ear as she playfully nudged my shoulder with hers.

That small movement turned me into to putty in her hands, which is why I suddenly found myself saying, "If you want, I can go out and look for her. You know, make sure she doesn't lose track of time."

"Really," Lissa asked with an adorable amount of bewilderment. "You would do that?"

"Anything for you sweetness," I gathered her gloved hand in mine and brought it up to plant a small kiss on the top of it. Her cheeks flushed to one of the most exquisite colors of pink and my heart soared. Even though I didn't want to leave her side just yet, the thought of how happy this task would make her propelled me forward.

I gave her a quick smile before dropping her hand and headed towards the woods. There was still a good amount of light left so I wasn't worried about running into any Strigoi, but getting lost was something I hadn't really considered. I stood at the threshold of the treeline and began reconsidering my decision, but the majority of the leaves had already fallen as winter approached and the forest seemed relatively sparse.

"I can do this. No big deal," I reassured myself. I just needed to pay attention to where I was going and not get distracted. I took in three quick puffs of air and charged in. I brushed by the skeletonlike trees—their bare white bones a complete contrast to the lush greens I had seen when I first arrived. The blanched scene was still somehow just as beautiful as it was when the Emerald Forest was full of life. It was certainly more captivating than the jagged rocks and cliff sides of Inferion.

After only a few minutes of walking, I thought I heard something ruffle in the distance. I altered my original course, something I told myself I wouldn't do, and began making my way towards the noise. I couldn't quite make out what it was, the sound was muted and muffled, but the deeper into the woods I moved, the more distinct it became. _Was it an animal maybe?_

Suddenly, a crisper noise halted my steps as a deep, threatening growl echoed off the trees. I whipped around to see Dimitri's giant wolf crouched behind me ready for attack. Her teeth were bared, saliva dripping from her canine fangs and her eyes were fixed directly on my torso. Where earlier, she had only been mildly irritated by Tasha's maneuver, now she appeared to be enraged. I slowly raised my hands up, a heavy gulp catching in my throat. Daisy took a calculated step towards me as another gnarled threat snapped through her teeth.

"Easy there, Daisy," I managed to shakily get out. I started to crouch down, letting her know I was fully capable of falling into submission to avoid any kind of fight—although she'd more than likely rip my throat out before I could even start a small blaze. She took another step towards me and I could feel my pulse really start to rise in panic, but it seemed the sound of my voice sparked some kind of recognition in her. Her snarl began to fade as she sniffed the air around me and with one small huff she turned and sauntered away.

A breath flew out of me in a gust of relief and I straightened myself back up. "What the hell was that all about," I wondered aloud.

I had only really seen her aggressive side come out in battle and didn't understand what could have sparked that sudden behavior. _Was she protecting something? A fresh kill, or maybe a_ —

All thoughts on the matter were completely lost as the strange noise returned causing me to turn around to face a nearby clearing. In the distance, I could see two figures that stood out amongst the myriad of trees, and that image rendered me completely frozen in place.

Dimitri and Rose.

He had her raised up and pressed against one of the larger trunks. Her hands were tangled in his hair and his mouth was moving up and down her neck at the same pace as—other parts of them.

I didn't know whether to feel, shocked, confused, or _disgusted_. "What the—"

I hadn't meant to say anything out loud, but the jarring scene somehow manifested my reaction automatically. I took a few steps backwards, ready to flee the area but before I could fully turn around to bolt, Rose's dark eyes locked on to mine.

 _SHIIIIT! Shit, shit, shit, shit._

The last thing I wanted was for her to loose one of the many weapons she kept on her body at me in an attempt to shut me up, so I sharply turned and ducked below some of the lower branches to cut across back to the castle. As I briskly made my way through the trees I kept trying to get the vision of the two of them out of my head, but it was playing over and over like a goddamn woodpecker on a spring day. Fuck, I did not want to think about woodpeckers.

 _Think about_ _soggy_ _porridge, think about poison ivy, think about anything other than—_

"WAH!"

Just as I grabbed on to a slimmer tree to hop over a boulder Rose appeared right in front of my face.

"Jesus Christ! Where the fuck did you come from?" I looked around us trying to figure out how she'd managed to sneak up on me completely undetected.

"I should be asking you the same question," she quietly replied. Rose brought her arms up to cross over her chest as her legs shifted into a stance that told me I wasn't going anywhere.

As terrifying as the Dhampir warrior could be, I quickly realized I wasn't the one who should have been under scrutiny. She had just been off galavanting in the woods, unknowingly to others, and her hostile tone towards me was completely unwarranted. Which made it impossible to stop my smart mouth from biting back. "Lissa was worried about you. She said she doesn't like you wandering in the woods alone this close to dark so I told her I'd come look for you. Not that you were technically alone I see."

Her eyes that were narrowed at me in scrutiny mere moments ago went wide at that last line and I could see her shoulders visibly tense.

"What are you going to do?" Rose's voice was hoarse and panicked, and it was then I realized she wasn't mad...she was afraid.

I let go of some of that hostility and took a step away from her, physically and mentally shaking off the weird stalemate we had found ourselves in. "I'm not going to go blab about it to the whole kingdom if that's what you mean."

Her warrior stance finally deflated and she dropped her arms to her side with a deep sigh. As glad as I was to not have her ready to snap my neck at a second's notice, I still wasn't letting her off that easy.

"Just tell me one thing, Rose." Her eyes looked up to me curiously and she gave me a small nod to continue. "Does Lissa know?"

This time her eyes retreated to her feet, and without a word, I had my answer. A sense of protectiveness rushed through me, and once again, I found myself unable to control the words spilling out of my mouth despite the consequences they'd potentially arise. "I won't lie to her."

Rose slowly moved her focus up, dragging along my body as if she was inspecting me for weak points. She tilted her head to the side menacingly and clicked her teeth. "You do know there are at least twenty ways I could break something of yours off right now? Something you'd probably miss."

"I don't doubt it." I knew she was trying to intimidate me, and on any other given day it probably would have worked, but the thought of Lissa getting hurt over something that I knew about helped me hold onto my resolve. "But she'd be crushed if she knew I was helping you keep a secret from her. She looks up to you Rose and I won't help you keep her in the dark because you're afraid." Rose balked at the insinuation, but I didn't back down. "Whether you like it or not, she deserves to know. So either you tell her...or I will."

Her eyes reamed at me and I prepared myself to feel a world of pain. I started picturing all the horrible things she had in store for me since the moment we met, but for some sick reason, her face morphed into a small smile instead of the vengeful sneer I had expected. I started to wonder what kind of deranged person got off on beating up someone well out of their league when she said, "You really care about her, don't you?"

"Yes."

My answer was immediate and clear. No matter what else I was feeling on the inside, that one statement would always be true. She observed me for one more lingering moment before simply saying, "Alright."

I had no idea if she meant alright she was going to tell Lissa or if it was alright that I cared about her, but before I could get clarification she turned her back to me and began marching off. I moved my hand up to my forehead, trying to rub out the confusion as her form grew smaller in the distance.

"Good talk," I finally called out to her as she strolled away, her only response was a middle finger sticking up in the air over her shoulder.

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Good Mistake by Mr. Little Jeans, The Emotion by BORNS**

"Well, out with it. What's soooo important that you had to immediately drag me away after dinner," Lissa impatiently asked. I had been sitting in front of her on my bed completely silent for six excruciating minutes as a war battled inside me. I was trying to find the words to tell her what I had been harboring for weeks but had no clue where to start.

"I um. Well, it's about uh.." My bottom lip sunk between my teeth and my eyes darted along the floor.

What was I going to tell her? That I slept with Dimitri? That I hadn't stopped since? Or that I was starting to feel something for him that was quickly falling out of my hands...and into his.

"It's about.." she probed, raising her eyebrows and tilting her head. Her hand that was resting on my pillow began to impatiently drum and my nervousness only increased.

 _You can do this, Rose. She's your sister for crying out loud. Your best friend. She'll understand…_

 _Won't she?_

I gripped my knees and shut my eyes, bracing for impact as I blurted out, "I SLEPT WITH DIMITRI."

Realizing I had practically shouted it out at her I peeked open one of my eyes to see hers wide and startled. I lowered my voice and tried again. "I've been _involved_ , with Guardian Belikov."

She just stared at me flatly, no expression whatsoever. I thought maybe my admission had somehow broke her. If she was a busted wagon wheel or a chipped knife I might've known how to fix her, but a stupefied princess was something I had no idea how to mend.

"Um, Liss?" I waved my hand in front of her face, hoping the movement would snap her out of it.

"I can't believe it," she whispered to herself. Her saucer eyes moved down to her lap as her head shook side to side.

Yep. I broke her. The only thing I could think to do was rush into an immediate, rambling explanation. "I know I said he was a complete eejit before and would rather stick pins under my nails than spend a moment alone with him but things have—"

"I can't believe you finally said it." Her voice grew excitedly as her focus returned back to me.

"Wait...what?"

"After all these weeks of parading around 'in secret'," she emphasized, "you finally said it out loud." Lissa began giggling to herself and bouncing on the bed.

Now it was my turn to be shocked. "You knew?!"

"Of course I knew," she stilled her body and rolled her eyes. "Seriously Rose? A run through the woods in the middle of a thunderstorm? How dense do you think I am?"

I brought my thumb up to my mouth and bit down on my nail. Looking back to that night and the lame excuse I had concocted to keep her off my back it was easy to see what an idiot I'd been. _Damn, should've thought that one through_.

"Not to mention your auras."

Her tone was too casual for my liking and I dropped my hand to study her meaning. "What about them?"

"It's hard to describe," she looked up contemplatively. "It's like when you two are around each other, the colors of your auras shine brighter. Almost as if being near one another brings out your true selves even more. It's quite spectacular, really," Lissa chuckled to herself. "And when you touch…"

She paused for a moment, for dramatic effect I presumed, so I indulged and pressed her forward. "What happens?"

"A warm glow surrounds the both of you, completely enveloping the auras together. It's like the sun rising in the middle of the night."

Lissa had tried to explain auras to me before, especially when she had first started to really develop her ability to see them, but it was always hard for me to wrap my mind around the concept. And what she was telling me now...it was an entirely different level of complexity. "Well, that's...weird."

She cocked a brow at my unenthusiastic response and I could feel rather than hear her telling me she wasn't buying it.

"Don't give me that look."

Lissa let out a small huff and pressed her hands behind her into my mattress, apparently deciding not to poke the bear.

"So let me get this straight, you've known about this all along yet you haven't uttered a peep about it. Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Well, I didn't want to push you," she timidly started. "We've never really had secrets from each other before, so I figured if this was something you were keeping to yourself, it was probably for good reasons."

I cursed under my breath at my unwarranted hesitation to tell her. She was so understanding and was only thinking about me and what I was feeling, rather than the tens of thousands of reasons I shouldn't be doing it in the first place.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Liss. I feel so stupid for keeping this from you."

"It's okay, Rose. Really. I understand," she soothed. "Howeveeerrrr.."

I recognized that tone immediately and prepared myself for what she was about to unleash.

"As your punishment, you are obligated to tell me every single detail. And I mean ALL the details."

She began to wriggle excitedly again and I wiped a hand over my face as I let out an exasperated groan.

"Rose and Dimitri, sittin in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N—"

"I have a bow and an assortment of daggers under my bed. I would suggest considering your next words very carefully."

"Ughhh come on, Rose," she whined. "Don't hold out on me now."

I peered at her through my fingers to see an endearingly pleading look. My shoulders slumped and my hands lazily dropped to the sheets. She was right. I at least owed her some sort of penance, but the words were quickly fleeing from my brain.

"He's so different than I thought he was," I started as my fingers nervously twined in my bedding. "At first I didn't think he could be anything other than cocky and aggravating as hell, which he still is a lot of the time," I chuckled causing Lissa's grin to grow. I thought back to my first impressions of him, and it was hard to believe how incredibly wrong I had been. "Underneath all that hostility and abrasiveness though, there are combatting traits I never expected. Dimitri's caring, protective, dependable, and extremely perceptive. He can be so easy to talk to, and I swear he has this way of just knowing what's going on with me without me even saying a word. When I'm with him I—," my voice cut off as something I promised I'd never say threatened to slip out. "It's just...I don't know what..." The same tongue-twisted state that happened every time I tried to wrap my mind around what I was feeling for Dimitri took over my ability to speak and I shook my head in frustration.

Lissa's demeanor suddenly changed and I could feel sympathy rising through the bond as her hand came down to rest on my knee. "You really care about him...don't you?"

Her voice was soothing and caring, begging me to entrust her with my true feelings, but how could I when I couldn't even admit them to myself? I just stared back at her, unable to say aloud what my heart was screaming at me on the inside. After a moment she just nodded in understanding and moved her hands back to her lap.

"Just tell me one thing, Rose," her voice lowered slightly and her tone shifted to something more playful as she shot me a curious grin. "What's he like in bed?"

As thoughts of Dimitri tangled between my limbs rushed through my mind, a wicked smirk slowly spread across my cheeks and her eyes grew wide in engrossing anticipation.

"Now _that_ , I can speak to."

* * *

 **A/N** : I can totally see Chris mentally screaming "My virgin eyes!" after that scene he just stumbled upon XD. Haha poor guy. Although, I feel like he is the one person who would have the balls to stand up to Rose and finally get her to face Lissa, which to me is a really important moment for these characters. Before Dimitri, Lissa was the one person Rose could completely trust and be open with, and something that could hurt their relationship (like keeping a secret) would be really taxing on Rose. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!


	22. Chapter 22

**Part 1 Chapter 22**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Shrike by Hozier, Sea of Love by Cat Power, Show Me Love by Hundred Waters**

I walked into Dimitri's tent to find him lounging on his bed with a book in his hand. His other arm was draped behind him, propping up his head. He looked completely relaxed as he poured over the pages in front of him. It baffled me how something as monotonous as _reading_ could bring this giant warrior to a state of contentment. As much as I loved giving him shit about it, a couple weeks ago I had decided to show him the castle library where he was welcome to replenish his collection. An enraptured stare formed on his face as he scanned the book-lined walls, and I decided I loved that look on his face even more than teasing him.

Daisy perked up from the end of the bed and hopped over to me as I moved further in. Dimitri's eyes peered at me over the edge of his novel and I leaned down to stroke Daisy's back.

"So," he sat up a little straighter and placed his book down beside him. "How'd it go?"

I looked over to him, thinking about what Lissa had said about our auras, before nervously looking away. "It was fine."

"Fine," he asked speculatively.

I glanced at him again to see him patiently waiting for me to elaborate. Not wanting to delve into her weird Spirit observations, or what they could possibly mean, I chose a different route. "Yeah, well apparently I'm not as secretive as I thought. She already knew."

He let out a small chuckle and rose from the bed to make his way towards me, the sound of his laugh and his increasing proximity settling my anxiety. "Rose, you are the most mysterious woman I have ever met," one of his hands came up to my cheek and brushed a tendril of hair behind my ear. "She just knows you better than anyone, that's all."

 _Not anyone_. I thought about all the times Dimitri was able to pinpoint things that I had never had the courage to voice aloud. He knew my fears as well as my hopes, and he was always there to help me realize them and conquer any obstacles that stood in my way. He wasn't afraid of discovering what was underneath, and most of the time seemed hellbent on diving deeper.

Lissa may have known me the longest. She knew where my thoughts would lead, and what my erratic actions meant, she even knew the darker parts of me that I was terrified to unleash. But Dimitri...he knew my soul.

"Maybe," I ran my hands up his chest and let his warmth radiate into my palms. As I thought about how well he knew me, the lengths I had gone through to know him also came to mind. I had always been curious about others intentions and wanted to make sure I had a good idea of who they truly were, but it went much further than that with Dimitri.

At first, I thought it was the challenge that piqued my interest. He was so heavily guarded and difficult to read, but once I had figured out how, I couldn't stop. I worked diligently to break through those walls he'd built up around him to shield himself from the world, and in doing so I quickly discovered which ones would end up crumbling him with them in the process if I pushed too hard. Normally I would crash my way through them, my desire to bring him out greater than any resistance I might be met with, but there was one barrier I still found myself tiptoeing around.

"Rose," Dimitri's hands came up to rest over mine and gave them a gentle squeeze. "What is it?

I looked up to him to see that familiar look. The one that said I could trust him. The one that told me there was nothing he wouldn't understand. There was something I had been trying to figure out for quite some time but had been hesitant to ask for more. However, after hearing Natasha voice the same concerns in the market, that itch to uncover it only increased and I decided I _had_ to know. "Dimitri, why did you come here?"

His brow slightly furrowed in confusion, but I didn't give him a chance to question me. "Why did you come to St. Vladimir's? I know you didn't want to at first, or you wouldn't have refused Victor's offer. What changed your mind?"

He stood there still for a moment, his face giving nothing away, but I could feel his heart beating slightly harder under our hands. "It's not a pleasant story, Rose."

I leaned in a little closer, fixing his gaze with mine. "Please, Dimitri. I want to know."

I leered at him, pleading with my eyes, begging him with thoughts I was too stubborn to say aloud. _I want to know_ you _. I want to know all of you_.

He let out a small sigh and gently pulled us towards his bed, our hands finally parting as we sat down on the edge.

"I told you once about the invasion at Kiev." I nodded but didn't dare speak a word, worried that anything I would say might cause him to retreat.

"It wasn't just the Mongolians that took us out. Their forces were great, yes, but the human invaders somehow found a way to ally with Strigoi," I had heard rumors of this before, but was still stunned to hear confirmation of it now. "While we were down on the fields, struggling to dig ourselves out of the trenches, the Strigoi raided our homes. The beasts slaughtered all those who were left behind or unable to fight, including most of the Moroi. My best friend, Ivan was in Novgorod with my family that night." Dimitri paused, his face falling to he tried to swallow.

"He had begged to come with me and join the fight. Ivan insisted that he could help, but I told him it was too dangerous and asked him to stay behind and watch over my family. I...I was injured on the field. I was surrounded by warriors and took a blow to the head, knocking me straight to the ground," Dimitri's eyebrow twitched as he revealed the memory embedded in his scar. "I didn't come to until the next day, only to find that all of my troops, everyone I had known were dead. The field was filled with still bodies, human and Dhampir alike. When I woke the only sounds came from the swarming crows above. I raced back to the village to my family home, praying that I wasn't too late, but when I walked in Ivan was lying there face down in a pool of his own blood."

Dimitri's head hung low, his shoulders slumped as if he was physically being pressed down by some outside force. I reached my hand over to his lap and placed it on his knee, hoping my contact would help him in some small way. He glanced over to my hand and his posture slightly rose, but he still didn't meet my gaze.

"And...and your family," I quietly asked.

"They made it out alive. After we were reunited, they told me Ivan had snuck them out of the house and stayed behind to distract the Strigoi so they could make their escape. He saved their lives."

"He was a hero," I added.

Dimitri let out a ragged breath and solemnly nodded his head. "We grew up together, Ivan and I. He was a far better man than I was. He was smart, everyone he met instantly loved him, he had a way of lighting up any mood. I remember this one time when we were kids," Dimitri went into an anecdote about his friend, his face softening little by little as he reminisced over their childhood together. Even the memory of Ivan made him so happy, and it was then I could truly see how great of a loss his death was to Dimitri.

As the story began to wind down, the small smile he had worn for that brief period started to fade and a far-off look formed in its place. "I was always so sure he would be destined for great things."

My heart broke for Dimitri. The Moroi man had given his life for Dimitri's family and as grateful as he was, Dimitri still felt undeserving of it and I could see how he wished he had been the one in his place. I wanted to tell Dimitri he was a far better man than he gave himself credit for and that he deserved a chance to live just as much as Ivan, but didn't want to overshadow all the thoughts about his friend that he had finally let out.

After a long pause and a few deep breaths, Dimitri continued on. "Anyways, after the fall of Rus, I didn't want to fight anymore. I didn't want to leave my family unprotected again. I failed Ivan and I couldn't bear it if they fell to the same fate. However," his heavy tone finally lightened a bit and he leaned back on his hands, "Yeva had different plans for me."

 _Yeva_. I had heard that name before. "You mean your grandmother?"

"Yes," he ran a hand through his hair, wearing that same look he had last time he mentioned her. There was obvious love for her there, but I couldn't help but notice the slight irritation as well. "It should come as no surprise that I wasn't entirely myself for a while. It shames me to say what you saw when I first arrived was only the tail end of it. I tried pulling myself together for my family but kept drifting back into that dejected state. I suppose I was too weak."

"That's not true," I burst out harshly, causing his face to whip towards me. "Dimitri you're a lot of things, but weak is not one of them. You were hurting. Yeah, there were probably better ways to handle it, but you managed to figure it out eventually if I recall."

"You mean after you kicked my ass and threw a dagger at my face?"

"Really? That again? I wasn't going to hit you," I defended before reaching my hand up to his chin. "Wouldn't want to damage that pretty face of yours."

He nudged out of my grasp and let out an amused huff. "Yes, well, unfortunately, I didn't have you around to whip me into shape." He sat back up so that we were side to side again and continued with his recollection. "After I refused Lord Dashkov's offer to come here, Yeva told me that it was my destiny to leave and fight for the Dragomirs. At first, I didn't understand why or how, but I obeyed anyways because she has a way of knowing things."

I wasn't sure what he really meant by saying that. What would cause a despondent, broken warrior to follow the orders of a little old lady and rush towards the one thing he was hellbent on staying away from?

"Knowing things," I prompted for clarification.

"Many people have speculated that she may be a witch, but whether that's true or not, I know better than to argue with her when she talks about destiny." I thought maybe he was pulling my leg to get back at me for that "pretty face" comment but his demeanor remained serious throughout his explanation.

"After first, coming here I thought maybe she had been making it up just to get me away from my family and back to whatever could be considered normal. But now…" His voice trailed off and he seemed to be considering his next words carefully.

I waited a moment for him to continue, but my patience wore out before he got the chance. "Now, what?"

He looked up as if my voice was a lure reeling him into me. His brown eyes softened as they slowly traced over every plane of my face. My cheeks heated up under that gaze and I could feel my heart begin to flutter in my chest.

"Now I know my purpose was to find you."

A pithy response was out of my mouth before I could think to stop myself. "Because no one else back home would've had the guts to throw a dagger at you?"

I expected him to shake his head, or roll his eyes but his serious gaze never left mine. "Because I've fallen in love with you."

My breathing completely stopped. My hands would've started shaking if they weren't already tightly gripped to my knees. He had broken his promise to me and was fully admitting it out loud, but what was worse...is how badly I had wanted him to break it.

"Why did you have to go and do that," I asked breathlessly.

His hands came up to my face, his thumbs lightly running across my cheeks to wash away the worry and alarm that was threatening to rise. "It was impossible not to."

Normally, my first reaction would be to either kiss him or slap him. Anything to jolt us out of this unstable haze we were slipping into, but as I sat there under his adoring gaze all I wanted to do was relish in it. The longer I sat there, wordlessly basking in his sweet declaration something in his expression started to change—and for the first time since meeting Dimitri Belikov, I could see a speck of fear in his eyes.

I had been teetering on this edge somewhere between running away and falling in, too petrified to make a choice, but seeing that mirrored vulnerability in Dimitri was the final push to send me tumbling over. I wasn't afraid to fall anymore because I knew he would be there to catch me.

It was then I realized the gravity of the situation I was suddenly finding myself in. Having a casual fling with someone who wasn't in contention to a well-known throne was one thing, but falling for another Dhampir, someone who couldn't help us build an alliance or even help me populate the dwindling Dragomir line...it was detrimental. Which is why what I said next was far more dangerous than anything else I'd ever done. "I—I think I love you too."

Awe transformed his face as the corners of his eyelids crinkled and a shaky, almost scared breath pushed out of him. He moved closer to me and I thought he might kiss me, but instead, he pulled me against him into a tight embrace. Dimitri held me that way for a while. Despite the many times we had slept together, that embrace was somehow the most intimate thing we had ever shared. At some point my arms had moved on their own accord to wrap around him, pulling him even tighter against me.

As he held on to me, all the times that I had questioned why I was feeling this way and what was the cause of my involuntary reactions around him began to finally make sense. It was because I loved him. I was in love with Dimitri Belikov.

All the things I had heard about love turned out to be completely and comically wrong. Time didn't stop, no matter how badly I wished it would. Love wasn't some cosmic force that hit you like an arrow to the spine. It didn't spawn out of nowhere at a moment's notice to sweep your feet out from under you. Sure, it had surprised the hell out of me and scared me to no end, but when I finally admitted it to myself I realized it had been there all along. It was sharing your secrets with someone you trusted, it was laughing together at inappropriate times, it was silently hacking at a tree beside them when they were discouraged, it was finding things that annoyed you in others but endeared you to them, it was calling them out when they did something wrong—in hopes that it would help them become a better person. It was Dimitri, and everything he had to give.

When he finally pulled away I moved a hand up to his chest and could feel his heart pounding beneath it now. His hand came up to cover mine, just as it had when I first arrived at his tent, and the other moved behind my neck to gently beckon my face to his. The love he had for me was in every movement, every touch, every look, and I knew that feeling could never be replicated with another.

Just before he brought his lips down to mine I held back and paused long enough to whisper against them, "I love you, Dimitri," then sealed it with a kiss that lit my world on fire.

...

"Mmm," Dimitri languidly hummed as I lightly traced my fingers over his chest. It still amazed me how a man that strong could melt like warm wax under my hands. It empowered me to know that I didn't need a weapon to disarm someone like him. Some of the men around camp believed him to be impervious to mortal weapons, revering him as a god in battle, but whether or not that was true, I had exchanged my collection of silver daggers and stakes for fingers entwined in his hair and a brush of my lips against his neck.

I tested one of those resources against his smooth, tanned armor, earning a quiet moan in response, "Moya lyubov'."

I should have been reveling in my victory, but the way his voice rolled melodiously in his native tongue had me melting just as fast. It was another anomaly that made being with Dimitri so much further beyond being with anyone else. A connection that had us constantly reacting to the other. He affected me more than anyone else. I was always so aware of his presence, even when he was trying to be discreet, and it was so easy for him to make me angry, lustful, sentimental because his presence made the rest of the world disappear.

As I observed Dimitri laying in the bed of furs below me, a serene look that mirrored the fulfilling calmness inside me, I thought, _Maybe Lissa was right_. _Maybe there was some other force tying us together, keeping us from ever drifting too far apart_.

I rested my chin on his chest and squinted my eyes to peer at the space above his head, trying to determine if there was anything hovering above us. _Was it something all Spirit users would be able to see, or was it just Lissa?_

"What are you doing," Dimitri asked as his left eyebrow curved into an arch.

"Nothing," I sighed, unable to see anything. "Just something Lissa said."

"Oh?" Dimitri's hands slid up my back to rest on my shoulders, his thumbs gently kneading them as he waited for me to elaborate. He really was great at that. I could tell he wanted to know what was on my mind, but he never pressured me to talk when I didn't want to. He just bided his time until I was ready.

I nodded and smiled, not ready to let go of our blissful ambiance and bring up things I wasn't sure how to wrap my mind around yet. I reached a hand up and began running my fingers through his hair. It had gotten even longer since he first arrived and every once in a while he would pull pieces from the front into small braids that fell in with the rest of his hair.

"I like this on you." I picked up one of the braids and began rubbing it between my fingers. "Who braided it?"

His eyes were fixed on my face, there was an almost dazed look in place as I continued to play with his hair, but he still managed to hone in on the conversation. "I did."

"Really?" The amused shock in my voice seemed to pull him back to the present and his focus became more aligned.

"Yes," his lips curved up in one corner, "Does this surprise you?"

"You just don't seem like the hair braiding type." I shamelessly raked my eyes down his body before returning them back up to his.

He let out a small chuckle and sat up against the pillows, pulling me up with him. At this rate, I wasn't sure if he was ever going to let me out of his arms again, but I had to admit I wouldn't mind that in the least. "Well, growing up with three sisters left me little choice in the matter," his eyes lit up in the way they did when he mentioned his family and I found myself fishing just to hold on to that look a little bit longer.

"What are their names?"

"Karolina is the oldest," he began. "I think you'd quite like her. She completed her training when she was fifteen. She fought alongside some of the Viking mercenaries for a few years but gave it up once she became pregnant with her first child. She has two now, Paul and Zoya. Then there's Sonja, my other older sister, and Viktoria, my younger sister."

"Do they have children as well, or are they fighters like your oldest sister," I inquired.

"Sonja has a young daughter, Katya, and works at a local Apothecary. Vika, though, she's another story entirely. She wants to fight, but she can be immature for her age. She still has a lot of growing up to do before she's ready for anything serious." I could see a line forming on Dimitri's brow and couldn't help but grin at that serious look.

"Is she really that immature, or are you just a protective older brother? Because it seems to me that _someone_ may just be a little overbearing," I teased.

Dimitri looked at me out of the corner of his eye and let out a small grunt. "You sound like Karo."

"Hmm, well then you were right. I like her already."

Dimitri's smile grew as his fingers entwined with my free hand, and I wondered if he was picturing me at the dinner table with his family. Laughing and drinking with his sisters as they shared stories about their beloved brother.

"Anyways," Dimitri cleared his throat and the image of three brown-eyed beauties faded from my imagination. "When they saw some of the Viking warriors styling their hair in braids, they told me I should do the same to help them see us as more than just allies in combat," Dimitri tilted his head to the side and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I learned at a very young age that arguing with them was useless, but in the end they were right."

I laughed at his admission earning another grunt that was meant to show his irritation, but there was no denying how much he adored those women. "They even started braiding their hair the same way the shield maidens did on occasion. Theirs were much more intricate, but when done right my sisters said it made them feel tough. Like they could take on anyone and anything."

I thought back to some of the few times I had seen Viking shield maidens. It wasn't often we crossed paths with raiders and even less that they had women warriors fighting alongside them, but the ones I had seen were some of the fiercest looking women I had ever laid eyes on. There was an unpredictability to them that often times made them even more challenging adversaries than the men.

"Could you braid mine," I asked without a second thought.

Dimitri turned his face towards mine, studying it for a moment before his eyes squinted at me. "Is this just a trick for you to tease me relentlessly?"

I let out a short laugh and shook my head as I pushed off his chest. "Not necessarily."

He continued to eye me speculatively, so I decided to leverage one of those pocketed weapons. I stretched my arms above my head, letting one of the fur blankets slide down my body, and brushed my hair over my bare back. I looked over my shoulder at Dimitri with a sultry glare and ran a finger down my arm as I whispered, "Please, Dimitri."

I could see his Adam's apple bob as a gulp made its way down, all the while his dark eyes dragging from my exposed chest to the ends of my loose hair. When his eyes made it back up to mine they sharpened from their entranced haze and he let out a relinquished sigh.

"Soooo is that a yes?"

"Nakhal'naya devushka," he huffed under his breath with a shake of his head. I smiled at him as he sat up and scooted closer to me, one of his long legs wrapping around my backside as the other inched its way under mine so he was facing the right side of my body.

Dimitri's hands snaked up my arms and back, his warm touch causing my eyes to flutter shut until they reached the base of my neck. He carefully moved them into my hair and began to comb out some of the tangles—tangles that he had ironically created. When he was done, he separated a few chunks from the rest and began twining smaller pieces around his fingers. We sat in comfortable silence for a while as he carefully worked and I allowed my mind to wander. His ministrations strangely reminded me of the few times I'd allowed Lissa to pull my hair up into a fancy updo, but the view this time was far better than any other time I'd had my hair done. Dimitri was still completely naked other than one of the blankets strategically draped over his nether regions. I let out a small giggle at our current position and Dimitri curiously asked, "What?"

I shook my head, earning a light admonishment in return. "Stay still, Roza."

I chuckled again and replied, "Yes sir, High Constable Belikov."

I could feel rather than see his eyes roll in response.

I thought back again to the differences between his skill and Lissa's. Where her movements had been more jerky and tight, Dimitri's were smooth and calculated. Granted, Lissa was trying to pull every last piece of hair out of my face—not an easy feat—and Dimitri was just leisurely creating an array of differently sized braids, I had to admit I liked this scenario much better.

One of the first times I let her practice on me, I nearly burst into tears from the pain.

" _Can't you practice this on someone else," I cringed. "Someone that maybe has a scalp of steel?"_

" _Well, no," she irritably replied. "And seeing how you're the only sister I've got, you're deemed for life to let me. So toughen up."_

That memory should have made me smile, but strangely it caused something more determined to creep over me. Maybe it was the recent chats with Lissa, the íonachta sigil we found, or hearing about Dimitri's sisters as well, but suddenly I felt my thoughts wander down an introspective route.

 _You're the only sister I've got_.

It rang through my head like Sunday morning church bells. The drive to keep her safe stemmed from my love for her and the memory of our family, but there was also this sense that if I weren't the one to stay diligent in her protection, then who would? Yes, Victor and Natalie would do everything in their power to make sure our family was well taken care of, but that was only on a political level. The only other person who I could trust to truly keep her safe would be someone I could trust with my life as well. Someone who loved me. All of me. Including my family.

"Dimitri, there's something I want to ask you."

He leaned down towards my ear and dropped his voice to a seductively low tone. "If it's 'are you ready for another round' then the answer's always yes, Roza."

I let out a small hum at his saucy mood before saying, "Good to know."

He sat back for a moment to tie off one of the braids he had been working on and pushed it behind my shoulder before prompting me to face him. "What's on your mind?"

This time I didn't hold back. "It's about Lissa." I sunk down onto my side and tugged one of the blankets up to cover my chest, intent to keep Dimitri from becoming distracted. He was a man after all.

I licked my lips as I considered my next words and pushed up on to my elbow to look him square in the eyes. "If something ever happens to me, I need you to promise you'll look out for her."

I expected him to scrunch his brow in that confused way he did sometimes or flat out ask why the hell I was being so cryptic, but instead he just stared back at me with an unreadable expression in place.

"She's not like me. Yes, she's smart and intuitive and brave in her own way," I rambled as I began twirling one of the small braids around my finger. "But she can also be naive and incredibly trusting. I need to make sure that if there was ever a time that I wasn't here to protect her from people who would try to take advantage of her, or worse, hurt her...that someone could step in, in my place. Someone I trust," I reached for Dimitri's hand and entwined his fingers in mine, "someone I love."

He studied me intently for a moment before nodding and I was glad to see him taking this as seriously as me. Because the next thing I was about to ask, I had a feeling wouldn't prompt as easy of an answer.

"There's something else. You know that for me Lissa will always come first. She is too important to me and this kingdom not to, and I need to know that you will do the same. She needs to be the priority, whether or not I'm in danger as well. I have to know that you won't hesitate to protect her above anyone else as not only your duty to this kingdom but as a promise to me. She comes first."

We sat there in silence, his deep stare never leaving mine, but there was no indication of what was running through him. I lay there still, my heavy words firmly lodged between us as I waited for his response. After a few more beats he let out a small sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"You know it's unfair for you to ask me anything when you're laying there like that." His lighter mood returned and I was grateful I didn't completely ruin the tender state we were in. I also realized he didn't really answer me, but I knew I'd given him a lot to consider and didn't press him.

"Maybe that was my plan all along."

I flashed him a small smirk before reaching up to give him a light peck on the lips. He smiled down at me as I lay back on the bed and brushed a hand over my shoulder.

"Vasilisa is lucky to have you, and even luckier still now that Tasha and Christian will most likely be allying with her."

I rolled my eyes and huffed at a piece of hair that had fallen into my face.

"You really should consider taking it easy on her," Dimitri calmly said as he moved the piece of hair back. "They've been through more than you'd think, especially Natasha."

If that comment had come from Natalie or Victor, I probably would've just brushed it off, but after all the tribulations Dimitri had been met with, I didn't see him throwing that phrase around lightly.

"What do you mean?"

* * *

 **A/N:** All the love songs this chapter ;).

Translation:

Nakhal'naya devushka - cheeky girl


	23. Chapter 23

**Part 1 Chapter 23**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Dusty Trails by Lucius, Bury by Unions, Destroyer by Phantogram**

Once it was out of me, I couldn't stop saying it. Whether it was whispered in his ear when he finally managed to pin me to the ground, or screamed against his shoulder as he made sweet love to me, I was hooked. It was strange really, the more love I gave him the more I had bursting through me.

Without meaning to, we had become protectors of one another, confidants, and true friends. And now, something infinitely more.

It consumed my thoughts. When I wasn't with him I couldn't help my mind from wandering to when the next time I'd see him would be or reminiscing over every moment we shared. It was pathetic really, but I also couldn't remember a time of every being so undoubtedly happy. Apart from him, my only other thoughts centered around Lissa, and the Ozeras.

In his tent, Dimitri had divulged some secrets about their family that had me seeing them in a completely new light. He had told me that a little over ten years ago, Christian's parents had grown hungry with power and since they were too far from being in contention to the throne, they committed an unspeakable act. They abandoned their positions—and their son—and ran off to seek allies that would help them fight against their other family members. It was an entire year before they returned, but when they did...they had changed. Tasha and Christian were the first to discover it. His parents compelled a couple of the Court Guardians to kidnap Chris and bring him to them outside the wards of Inferion. Tasha had watched over him after her brother left, and when she heard of his disappearance she went after him. She arrived at a desolate cottage where they were holding him to find that they were no longer Moroi, they were Strigoi.

After they had left Inferion, the Ozeras drained a couple of travelers of their blood until they were dead—it was the only way for a Moroi to become Strigoi other than being turned by one. Natasha tried her hardest to fight them off and take Christian back with her, but this was well before she had trained to become a warrior and she was no match for their strength. They brutally beat her down when she refused to leave Christian with them, which is how she had earned the garish scar across her face. She was on the verge of bleeding out when the other Court Guardians finally arrived and Christian was forced to watch as they slayed his parents in front of him.

It was a morbid story and I was shocked that I hadn't heard of it before. Dimitri told me that the other Ozeras in their family tried their best to keep it quiet, but Tasha and Christian weren't ashamed of their past like the others were. It was admirable how Natasha not only turned a gruesome time in her life into something positive, like promoting Moroi combat and offensive magic use, but also dedicated her life to raising her attackers' son. Seeing him day in and day out would no doubt be a reminder of that near-death experience at her brother's hands, but she fought through it for the sake of her nephew's well-being.

I realized I had been treating her unfairly and began to see her in an entirely new way. I wouldn't say our relationship was going to turn into a full-fledged friendship overnight, I was still battling the mild jealousy of seeing her familiarity with Dimitri, but I decided the next time I saw her I'd take it upon myself to learn more about her and possibly include her in some of our combat strategies. She was an established warrior after all.

However, it was Christian that I ran into first—literally. I had just finished having lunch with Eddie and Mason and was on my way back to the castle when I realized I left one of my knives at the tavern. We had decided to play a couple rounds of Stabberscotch, Eddie was always hellbent on trying to beat my time, and I must have left it sitting on the table. I grumbled under my breath and whipped around to head back when I slammed directly into another body.

"Watch it you feckin gobdobber. Maybe if you pulled your head out of your arse you'd—oh." When I looked up to see a pair of crystal blue eyes staring back at me my insult caught short in my mouth. I had been avoiding Christian ever since our little run in in the forest and wasn't really champing at the bit to see him again.

"Sorry," he brushed off his shoulder. "Kinda hard to watch out for maniacs who veer in opposite directions without warning."

"Oh, ha yeah. Sorry about that," I nervously laughed.

"Sorry," he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yeah, my bad," I took a step back and scuffed my foot in the dirt. "I didn't see ya there. You alright?"

His lips pursed and his eyes narrowed as she surveyed me. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean," I asked innocently.

"A second ago you were ready to bite my head off and now you're being nice to me. Why?"

"What," I lifted my arms and shrugged my shoulders. "A girl can't be nice to people without being accused of having ulterior motives?"

Christian studied me for a moment, obviously unconvinced before letting out a sigh. "Who told you?"

"Told me what?"

"When people find out about my family, they either look at me with disgust...or like that," he moved his hand in a circular motion around my face. "I don't need you to be nice to me because you feel bad for me, Rose."

"Who said anything about feeling bad for you? If anything, I'd feel bad that you were born with a face like that," I teased. He shook his head in response, but the small chuckle that seeped out told me he hadn't taken it to heart.

"Thanks, I guess."

We stood there for a moment awkwardly without anything to say until I finally decided to buck up. I cleared my throat and went for a more serious note, "I am sorry though, that you went through that. I know it must have been hard."

Christian diverted his focus to the ground and entwined his hands behind his back. "Yeah, well it was a long time ago."

I nodded and stayed quiet for a beat, deciding to drop the topic before either of us got too emotional reminiscing over dead parents. "Doesn't mean I'm going to start going easy on you in training though," I playfully nudged him in the shoulder.

The Moroi stumbled back, making me realize I may have tapped him a little too hard. When he straightened back up one of those snarky smiles was draped across his cheeks. "That's too bad. I was hoping to do more than clip you with a dagger this time."

"Watch it Ozera," I pointed at him. "That's grounds for treason."

He let out a full laugh this time. I could tell another quip was on the tip of his tongue when his eyes moved up to someone approaching behind me. I turned around to see Dougal, one of the regular Castle Guardians, walking towards us.

"Marshall Hathaway," he greeted. "Lord Dashkov requests your presence back at the castle."

"I'll be right there," I acknowledged before turning back to Christian. "Well, duty calls. See ya around Sparky."

He gave me one of those jerky chin juts that guys did sometimes and I made my way to the castle, completely forgetting about my knife.

I walked in to find Lissa, Victor, and Natalie already gathered and waiting in one of the smaller dining rooms. As I took a seat Lissa smiled at me in greeting, but Natalie's eyes immediately darted to the floor. Apparently, this wasn't going to be a conversation I'd enjoy.

"So, Uncle Victor," my sister spoke first. "What news have you brought us? Is it good?"

Natalie shifted uneasily in her seat as she turned to face her father.

"I'm happy to report that it is very good news indeed," Victor began. _If it was such good news, why had Natalie yet to look me in the eye?_

"Natalie here has successfully commandeered an agreement with the Ivashkovs of the Western Isles," he said proudly. "A renowned Lord from their family is coming to legitimize the arrangement."

"The Ivashkovs," Lissa gasped. "Their family is very prestigious. I've heard many things about their large forces, including a private navy. You really think they would form an alliance with us? What sort of arrang—"

Lissa's words suddenly broke off and all excitement drained from her face. She slowly looked towards me, her jade green eyes alight with realization. Regardless of whether she continued or not, I already knew exactly what was happening. If Natalie's peculiar behavior wasn't enough, Victor's last statement was a dead give away. My sister's lips pursed together and I could feel a thousand emotions rushing through the bond—sympathy and worry rising above the rest.

"When should we expect this Lord? I assume arrangements will need to be made for their arrival," I calmly asked.

"A few days at most," Natalie meekly spoke. "They sent word through a raven that he and his cavalry had left a little less than a week ago."

My heart plunged into my stomach and I stared blankly at the table's surface. "I see."

Three days. Three days until my life was inevitably decided for me.

"Rose, I swear he's a decent man despite what others say about him. He's very charming and skilled in..." Natalie's list of convincing arguments continued on and on in rapid succession, but I didn't hear a word she said. The only voice that echoed in my mind was Dimitri's. His melodic accented voice telling me over and over that he loved me.

 _Roza. My Roza_.

"Rose...Rose," I looked up to see Victor observing me carefully. "This alliance will be monumental for our kingdom. I hope you know that we realize how much you are sacrificing for this, but it will not be in vain."

I nodded stiffly as I quietly replied, "I understand."

He had no idea how much I was sacrificing.

 _If he did, would he think differently?_

No. I couldn't think like that. It didn't matter what I wanted or what I felt. What mattered is I did my duty to serve the betterment of the kingdom. There were a hell of a lot more people in St. Vladimir's counting on me and I couldn't let them down just for my own selfish wants.

I raised up a little straighter, this time putting as much confidence in my voice as possible, despite the crushing feeling building inside me. "I understand."

The room fell silent. There was no point in saying anything else.

I stood from my seat and made my way out, pulling my hands under my cloak so my family couldn't see them shaking.

When I made it outside I just stood at the front of the castle in a frozen state of shock. I wasn't sure what to do or where to go. A million thoughts should have been racing through my mind, but it was blank. There was nothing. I wasn't sure how long I stood there in my statuesque state, but finally moved when I felt something cold and wet start to melt against my skin. I looked down to the top of my bare hand to see a spec of moisture slowly dripping off. I rose my face up to the sky, and it was then I noticed the first snow had finally arrived. I glanced around to see a sheen layer of white covering the ground and the tops of the roofs. I closed my eyes and let the fluffy flakes fall around me, hoping they would cover me as well.

As they gradually fell down on me, soaking my hair and the tops of my shoulders a shiver began to course through me—but I knew deep down it wasn't from the cold.

"Rose?"

I felt her coming through the bond before she'd even made it outside but still didn't turn around to face her just yet.

"The first snow," I replied to Lissa, slowly opening my eyes. "Do you remember that one year it came in the middle of our sleep?"

Lissa took a few steps forward to stand next to me, observing the serene picture before us. "Andre came to our rooms and woke us up," her voice was far-off and somber. "He dragged us outside in our nightgowns so we could all watch it fall together."

I nodded at the memory, desperately wishing he was standing beside us now to watch the snow cover the kingdom. If he were, maybe things would be different. There wouldn't be a pressing need to solidify the line. I wouldn't be burdened with responsibilities that were tearing me apart.

But he wasn't here.

He was gone.

They were all gone, only Lissa and I remained.

"You don't have to go through with this, Rose."

I finally looked over to Lissa, pushing every emotion I was feeling on the inside behind an iron wall. "Yes, I do."

"But what about—"

"Don't," I sternly objected.

She stood there silently for a moment, her green eyes scanning my face before she reached a hand out to hold mine. Despite the good five inches she had over me, her hands somehow felt smaller than mine. Maybe it was because of how soft they felt, or how dainty her movements were—or maybe it was because they weren't carrying as much weight as mine. "I know how much you love him, Rose. I don't need to read your thoughts or feel your emotions. I can see it in your eyes. And I know he loves you too. Don't throw that away for my family's strife."

My eyes widened at that remark. We never talked about my true heritage. Lissa knew the importance of keeping it hidden and we had promised our parents to never speak of it in front of anyone. We had taken that promise to heart and didn't even mention it behind closed doors. For her to bring it up now, of all times, was more than unexpected.

" _We can find another way_ ," her voice echoed in my head through the bond.

I could feel the warmth of her love for me pour in from her and slowly start to banish the chill from the fallen snow. She was telling me that she valued my happiness over our responsibility; that she would rather take a chance with the Dragomir line than see me hurting. I couldn't believe how someone could be so understanding and empathetic, but I guess that was just her. Lissa was constantly putting others before her, even when it took a physical and mental toll on her—and it was my responsibility to be there and help share that load.

"Your family has been, and always will be my family," I squeezed her hand tightly in mine. "I have to Lissa, and I will."

Before she could say anything else to try and convince me otherwise, I dropped her hand and marched away from the castle.

/

Immediately after walking into the tent, two strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me against Dimitri's warm body. With what I was about to do I really should have pulled away, but I couldn't help indulging in his affectionate hold. As he lifted me up I curled my arms around his neck and inhaled the familiar scent of pine and fresh parchment.

"Someone's been scouring the library I see." I could feel Dimitri's lips form into a smile against my shoulder as I spoke and I tried to memorize that shape.

"Well, I missed you," he pulled back just enough to face me but still kept me in his arms. "I had to find something to occupy my time."

As I looked into those soft brown eyes filled with so much love, I could already feel myself starting to break. Maybe I didn't have to do this. Maybe it could wait. Just a little longer.

But I knew the longer I waited the more it would hurt him in the long run.

"Is everything alright, Rose," Dimitri asked as he carefully set me down. He studied me in that way he did, trying to decipher the cause of my mood he had already picked up on.

 _Am I alright? Will I ever be alright after tonight?_

"I need to talk to you," I responded without answering his question.

He nodded and brought me over to his bed to sit beside me, close enough that I could still feel his compassion calling out to me, but with the space I needed to not become distracted by how much I wanted to fold myself into his touch again. I took a deep breath and steeled myself as I had with Lissa. I needed to remain emotionless, or I wouldn't be able to get through this.

"Victor brought us some news," my voice cracked a little so I cleared my throat to fortify it. "A proposal has come in from the Western Isles. The Ivashkovs have offered their alliance to St. Vladimir's Valley."

I could feel Dimitri straighten up beside me, no doubt as intrigued by this partnership as Lissa was. The Ivashkovs were a well-known family amongst our kind, and there was no doubt in my mind that Dimitri had heard of them. I kept my eyes facing away as I spoke but could sense he was about to offer some form of congratulations so I hurried on before he could say something he'd regret. "I am to meet with one of their well-established lords to strike an agreement for marriage."

I sat there beside him, my words creating a barrier between us, and suddenly it was as if any trace of life left the room. There wasn't a single sound as that statement clung to the air. Not even a breath came out of Dimitri. I wondered if he had been completely overtaken by shock as I had back at the castle, but I didn't dare look. I knew if I caught a glimpse of those deep brown eyes, my resolve would completely shatter.

After a painstakingly long moment, Dimitri finally asked, "So what does this mean?"

I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted iron in my mouth, focussing on a pain I could control. "It means that we can no longer see each other outside of a professional setting."

"You can't possibly mean that."

"We both knew this day would come," I hurriedly pressed. "You knew I had responsibilities that I'd have to uphold when we started this arrangement."

"Yes, but things have changed since then," Dimitri's voice was becoming more and more pleading as the conversation stretched. "You know they have."

"Things may have escalated more than expected," I couldn't bare say what he wanted me to. That we loved each other now. That our love was far greater than some casual fling we had initially agreed upon. "But that doesn't change the fact that I now need to dedicate my time to focussing on my family. I—I have to, Dimitri."

Refusing to let me avoid his gaze for another single moment, Dimitri clasped his hands around mine and moved off the bed to kneel in front of me. His height brought his gaze directly in line with mine, forcing me to face the pain I was causing. "Listen to me, Rose. You don't have to do this," he beseeched. "Please. Please, Roza. I love you."

My stoney facade started to crack, and it became physically painful to not let the hopefulness in his voice engulf me. My body began to tremble and my eyes burned as tears threatened to spill. I held back as much as I could, but the longer Dimitri clung to me, begging on his knees, the more everything within me started to cave.

He knew me better than anyone. He should've known how much this hurt me just as well as him and how hard it would be for me to let him go. I had finally found something that I could call my own, something that brought me more joy than anything else in this world, and here I was being forced to give it up.

And then, there it was, the tiniest spark of anger. I latched on to it and tried to drive it out, hoping it would be my salvation. "Don't ask me to choose between you and Lissa."

His hands squeezed mine even tighter, almost desperately as he said, "I'm not asking you to choose me. I'm asking you to choose YOU!"

Dimitri wasn't going down without a fight. I should have seen it coming. It was not only a testament to who he was, but how much he loved me. That idea should have filled my heart with enough love to surrender to his pleas and fall into his arms, but instead, it had me grasping at more of that anger quickly dwindling inside me.

I jumped up from the bed and took a few steps away so that my focus was turned once again. "I'm sorry, but this is the way things have to be. Don't make this more difficult than necessary."

The coldness in my voice spurred something in him and I could feel his rage burning at my back. "So you expect me to just stick around and watch as you and your new husband grow your family and live on like nothing ever happened between us?!"

The thought of him leaving to avoid seeing me in this unchosen life pained me more than anything else. He would really abandon his position, give up on his promise to protect my sister all to avoid the same torment that I would be suffering as well?

I whipped back around to face him, unable to control the volume of my voice as it rose to a shout. "I _expect_ you to follow orders of your commanding officer, no matter what it is you want."

His eyes needled me. The shock that I would use my position as leverage to bend his will subdued his fury and I knew my statement had been the salt on an already expanding wound. I hadn't pulled rank since he first arrived at camp, and doing so now almost felt like a sin.

"What _I_ want?" He huffed under his breath, clearly disappointed that I didn't say _we_. "I see."

He waited a moment for me to say something else. Anything to correct the damage I'd done, but when I remained silent he let out a breath that was constructed to be a humorless laugh.

"FINE," he roared, his booming voice loud enough to shake my bones. "Run off to your intended and spend the rest of your life knowing that you will never love him the way you love me."

I stood there paralyzed for a moment. Dimitri's rage and veracious words filling me with an emptiness I was afraid would swallow me whole.

He was right. The rest of my life would be lived a lie. No matter who this lord turned out to be, I would never feel for him the way I felt about Dimitri.

Even if every part of me knew it to be true, admitting it out loud would completely break me. So instead, I turned around and walked out of his tent, hoping that Dimitri hadn't seen me cry.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for posting this one so close to Valentine's day. Last week's probably would have been more appropriate :/. Lots of important things were brought up in this chapter though, including Rose learning the truth of Chris' background and Rose and Lissa briefly mentioning her true heritage. Thanks to everyone out there reading and hope you enjoy your Galentine's/Valentine's Days!


	24. Chapter 24

**Part 1 Chapter 24**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Doomed by Moses Sumney, Rescue Me by Unions, Die 4 You by Perfume Genius**

I wasn't sure how long I had been out here, but my shivers had almost turned violent as I sat perched near the riverbank. Most of the water had frozen over. There were only a few shallow cracks where the stream still sloshed over the ice and I stared blankly at those small openings.

It was as if my insides were splayed out before me. What once was a lively, welcoming stream full of warmth had hardened and left no room for any sign of life. But where the frigid winds and dropping temperatures had been the cause of the brook's dormancy, harsh words and self-destruction had been mine. I sat there replaying Dimitri's heartache over and over. The look in his eyes as he begged me to stay, the clench of his jaw as I heartlessly brushed him aside, the pain in his voice as he shouted truths I refused to acknowledge. I reran the fight on a constant loop, forcing myself to face the damage I had done.

Each time I relived it, I hoped that the crushing pain inside me would start to numb, that it would eventually become easier to bear...but it didn't. And I wasn't sure if it ever would.

I heard something crunching in the thin layer of snow behind me and quickly wiped my face. I could at least hide my red nose and swollen eyes behind the guise of the cold air, but tears running down my cheeks would be a dead giveaway to anyone approaching. As I turned around though, my efforts turned out to be pointless. The silver and white fur of Daisy's coat were spotted with bits of fallen snow and she shook them off before reaching my side. I looked around to see if Dimitri had come with her, but when she slowly laid down beside me and rested her head in my lap it was clear that he was nowhere near. She was only this tender towards me when no one else was around. It was like a secret that we shared, both of us hellbent on keeping a stern exterior around those we didn't fully trust, but secretly seeking the love and affection of those we did.

I removed a glove from my hand and hesitantly placed it on top of her head, but as soon as my fingers made contact with the familiar soft coat, those salty tears began to pour out once again. "How can you even look at me after what I've done," I sobbed.

Normally, when I spoke to her, Daisy would react in different ways that told me she was listening. Her ears would perk up, her head would cock, little quirks that had become telltale signs of how she perceived me. But now, she just laid there still, almost in a distantly somber state. I collapsed onto her back and cried into her fur, not able to resist the small bit of comfort that she was selflessly providing. I allowed myself to shamelessly ball against her for a good while before finally sitting back up and attempting to pull myself together, though there wasn't much left of me to grasp.

I took a few deep breaths and wiped my face, again. "Thanks," I looked down to Daisy, "I needed that."

She still didn't look up at me in response.

Her reactions, or lack thereof, were a dead give away of how pissed at me she was, yet she was still here beside me when I needed someone the most. It was something Dimitri would do.

I could feel a low growl rumble against my knee as her throat slowly rose up. I had the impossible thought that she had somehow read my mind and was furious that the bitch who had broken her master's heart would even think his name until I heard someone calling out in the distance.

"Rose? Rose are you out here?"

His figure was still hidden over the hill but I recognized Mason's voice instantly. The fur on the back of Daisy's neck stood on end and I began to rise to a stand, my muscles aching from exhaustion and mental depletion. "It's alright," I soothed the wolf as Mason called out to me again. "You go on."

She obeyed and began to head back towards the kingdom but after taking only a few steps she paused, turning her head over her shoulder to finally looked me in the face. We stared at each other for a moment as a strange sense of understanding passed through us, and although I should have felt completely weirded out by the fact an animal seemed to be reading the emotions playing through me, I was glad to share them with someone.

"I'm down here," I called out to Mason, causing Daisy to finally take her leave.

I heard a rustling up the hill and an instant later Mason came stumbling down. Despite the same weather that came every year, Mason never was very good at navigating the slick snow. Normally the sight of him clumsily sliding around would amuse me, but as I watched him I just felt...detached.

"Damn, Rose it's freezing down here. What the hell have you been doing," Mason puffed out as he made it to me.

"Nothing," I coarsely replied. "What do you want?"

His eyes narrowed at me for a moment and took in my appearance. His arms came up to cross over his chest and he lowly responded, "So I was right."

I didn't bother answering him this time. I wasn't in the mood for obscure statements, and if I was being honest I really didn't care what he meant either way.

I turned around back towards the water and pulled my cloak tightly around me.

"Something did happen with you two," he pressed at my back. I remained impassive, already beginning to tune him out.

Annoyed that I was full on ignoring him, Mason raised his voice a little and took a step forward. "I saw Belikov packing up his stuff."

My whole body tensed. I remained motionless for a moment as I let the words seep in, hoping what he was saying was a lie. But when I turned around to see Mason regarding me with absolute certainty, what was left of my crumbled, pathetic heart plunged into my stomach. "He...he's gone?"

 _How could he abandon me? He wouldn't leave me here alone_.

 _He couldn't._

My worst fears suddenly manifested and knocked the air straight out of me. My knees went weak and I felt myself stumbling in place when Mason's hands shot out to catch me. "Woah, Rose. Are you okay? We need to get you inside and warm you up."

"How could you let him go," I tried to scream, but it came out sounding more like a dying animal than a furious Dhampir. I struggled against Mason, trying to get out of his hold as he began pushing me up the hill. "You should have stopped him."

He mumbled something along the lines of, "what are you saying," as he tried to maneuver us and I dug my heels into the soft earth causing us both to tumble down. I heard him swear as our legs dug into the wet, slushy snow but when he looked up to me his scrunched brow and pursed lips went slack. I can't imagine what I looked like, but if it was any indication of what I was feeling on the inside, it wasn't good.

"Rose." I shook my head at his worried voice, not wanting to hear any consoling words he was about to say. I didn't deserve them. _I didn't deserve him_.

"Listen to me!" Mason latched onto my shoulders, forcing me to finally look him in the eyes. "Belikov isn't gone."

I just stared at him confused. What was he saying? Had I imagined it before? Were my blinding fears driving me to insanity? I latched my fingers around my necklace and squeezed it tight.

"Well, I mean his stuff is I guess," Mason continued, "but he hasn't left St. Vladimir's."

"You-you said…" I tried to press him for more information, but my teeth were chattering uncontrollably and I couldn't form a proper sentence.

"We'll talk once we're inside. Now, come on before you lose a limb to frostbite." This time when he reached down to help me up, I didn't try to stop him.

My friend guided me to one of the local inns that he often resided in during the cooler months and plopped me down by the fire in the front room. The innkeeper brought us a few blankets and some hot cider to warm me up and it was only then I realized how cold I truly was. I gulped down the hot drink, letting the warm liquid slowly thaw my throat and stomach, but no matter how much I drank, my chest still felt cold as ice.

When I finally stopped shivering and my voice felt like it could hold a decent conversation, I worked up the nerve to ask Mason—despite my rising fear of his answer. "Where is he?"

He looked up to me, pushing his red hair out of his face as his curls slowly began to dry under the fire's heat. "I'm not sure exactly, somewhere in the castle I think."

"The castle?" That was the absolute last place I had expected him to say.

"Yeah, I guess he decided to take Lord Dashkov up on his offer to reside in the High Constable's chambers."

This didn't make any sense. After what Dimitri said about not wanting to see me live my life with my new betrothed, I would've thought he'd either stay down at the camp or reside as far away as possible to keep away from me. As badly as I wanted him nearby, there was no way I deserved that small comfort after the way I treated him.

"Rose," I realized I had dazed off for a moment and looked back up to Mason's expectant face. "What happened with you two?"

I looked towards the blazing fireplace and crossed my arms over my waist. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't give me that bullshit," the amount of anger in his sharp response surprised me. "If what I saw with Belikov wasn't enough, what happened down there at the stream with you sure as hell confirmed it. Now stop acting like I'm some stranger who hasn't known you your whole life and talk to me."

I waited a beat and swallowed down a couple more sips of cider before responding. "What...what did you see?"

I kept my eyes on the ceramic mug in my hands, too ashamed to look at him as he described the heartbroken man I'd left behind. But I realized Mason wasn't willing to give me that when two freckled hands came into my line of sight and gently pushed the mug back down to my lap. I waited a bit, wagering if it was really worth hearing what he had to say but finally decided I had to know and looked back up to Mason, prompting him to speak. "Honestly, it reminded me of the man he was on the first day of camp, only this time he wasn't drunk and stumbling around. He was just...empty. Like I could throw a hatchet at the guy and he wouldn't feel a thing."

I let out a shaky breath. _My fault_. _My pain_. _My damage_.

"I tried to ask him what was going on, but he made it _very_ clear he didn't want to talk," Mason's frustration was palpable as he pulled his hands back and leaned deeper into his seat. "He basically told me to fuck off when I asked what he was doing. I know the guy can be an asshole sometimes, but this time it was different. He wasn't just in a sour mood, there was something seriously wrong. So I came to find you and well, you can guess what happened after that."

I sat there for a moment, trying to decide what to say. It wasn't just my business that Mason was wanting me to let him in on, it was Dimitri's too. It seemed wrong to share our private life with anyone, especially someone who wasn't privy to it before, but I also didn't think it would be fair to let Mason come up with conclusions on his own that would make him think less of Dimitri. And I trusted Mason, wholeheartedly.

So I told him.

He remained impassive, letting me get it all out without a single interruption or shocked expression. When I finally got through Victor's request and the following events of the day I felt like I had been talking for hours. We wordlessly sat there for a while, the crackling of the dwindling fire beside us the only noise in the room. Eventually, Mason clasped his hands together and placed his elbows on his knees so he could lean closer towards me.

"I know you don't want to hear this, Rose," he quietly said, "but he's right."

I frustratingly grabbed the ends of my hair and let out an agitated groan. "I know Mase. Why do you think I ended things? Victor wouldn't ask me to do this if it wasn't vital to—"

"I'm not talking about Victor. I'm talking about Dimitri." Mason interrupted. "Belikov is right."

His words left me baffled and my only response was a blank stare. Even if I had wanted to say something in return, Mason rushed forward as if he was trying to beat me to the punch.

"Most Guardians have a shorter life span than others, you know this just as well as anyone, so when we have an opportunity to experience something really great...we take it. You shouldn't waste your life living a lie. It wouldn't be fair to you or this other Ivashkov dude," the butchered way that name dripped out of his mouth was almost comical.

When I still didn't supply a response, Mason let out an aggravated sigh. "Look Hathaway, I'm not normally the type to talk about all this mushy relationship stuff, so would you give me a break? I'm trying here."

I couldn't help but give him the tiniest hint of a smile.

"There she is," he grinned back at me.

I took a moment to genuinely consider what he was saying, but there was really no use. "I get it, Mase. I really do. But I can't just abandon my responsibilities like that. And what about Lissa? That's just putting way too much pressure on her, pressure she doesn't need."

A gust of air puttered through his tight lips making an exaggerated _pfft_ sound. "You think denying this proposal will cause her stress? What about knowing that her sister, her flesh and blood, is completely miserable just so she could help wrangle an opportune alliance. You know that she wouldn't want that. Hell, I'm sure she's probably already tried to talk you out of this."

I didn't have to tell him he was right. The look on my face said it all.

"Rose, you love him right?"

I nodded meekly at first but quickly realized that small movement didn't justify what I felt for Dimitri. It was almost sacrilege to sum up every touch, every kiss, every longing feeling I had for him in such a cowardly gesture. I sat up straight and spoke sternly, making sure there wasn't an ounce of doubt in my voice; I had spent too long hiding my feelings to back down now. "Yes. I love him."

"Well then, that's your answer. Victor may be trying to strategize what he thinks is best for the kingdom, but how can he expect us to be ruled by someone who lives a life of misery. We need you at your best, so does Lissa, and it seems like Belikov is the one person who can bring that out."

My heart began to speed up in my chest as I thought about how it felt to be around Dimitri. He was the one person I could come to with my deepest insecurities and was always there to help me overcome them. He had already promised to stand by me and Lissa with his declarations of love and admittedly, I felt invincible with him by my side. Mason was right. Our time on this earth was unpredictable, especially for those like us, but whether my heart beat for another day or another hundred years—it belonged to Dimitri.

He had already chosen me, and now...I would choose him.

There was no doubt in my mind the many tribulations I would face in doing so, but I knew with Dimitri by my side we could conquer anything.

I hopped up from my seat, the blanket fell from my shoulders and Mason jerked back in surprise. I turned to round the chair but paused for a moment, remembering one last thing I needed to do before leaving. I took a step back towards my original perch and bent down towards Mason's chair. I raised a hand to rest on his freckled cheek and planted a small kiss on the other side. "Thank you, Mason."

His complexion reddened three shades darker and he nervously looked to the side. "Aw shucks, Hathaway. Don't go making your man more jealous of me than he already is." I let out a short laugh and dropped my arm. Mason wafted his hand towards the door and gave me a lopsided grin, "Now go on."

I cast him one last appreciative look before propelling towards my original path and heading straight out of the inn.

/

I ran at full speed all the way back to the castle, not even stopping to catch my breath. I hastily brushed past a couple members of the staff, earning a few disgruntled exclamations, but didn't stop until I was standing in front of the High Constable's door. My chest was heaving and my heart was racing. I paused for a moment to let my breathing subside but knew there was no chance of my heart rate slowing with the amount of anticipation coursing through me.

I shook my hands at my side, trying to get out the nervousness I had built up, and raised my hand to knock. After three swift bangs I heard Dimitri call out from the other side, "I said I'm fine!"

His voice was irritated and curt. I'm not sure who he thought I was, but I raised my hand and knocked again. I could hear his heavy footsteps barrel towards the door right before it swung open, a gust of air from its force blowing a few pieces of my hair over my shoulder.

"I told you I was—Rose," his voice started out furious and cold, but as soon as his eyes landed on me it dropped in temperament and volume. He looked at me for a moment, a dose of disbelief covering his features, until clearing his throat and glancing away. "I mean, Marshall Hathaway."

That stung.

I knew I had no right to ask, but I did anyway, "Can I come in?"

His eyes glanced around the floor of his room as he gave me a small nod and backed away from the door. I briskly walked in before he changed his mind and slammed the door in my face; honestly, it's probably what I would've done if the roles were reversed.

When I made it to the center of the room, I took a moment to glance around at my surroundings. It reminded me of the first time I had barged into his tent after our sparring match. It was strange how although almost everything from his tent was here, it somehow looked completely different than before.

"It's been a while since we've had someone in here. It looks nice."

Dimitri carefully closed the door behind him and moved to the opposite side of the room, the space between us the spanse of an ocean. "It's not what you think."

I looked over to where he stood, hoping he'd meet my eyes but he kept his focus away. As badly as I wanted to, I refrained from asking him to look at me. I was getting a well-deserved dose of my own medicine.

"How so?"

He leaned back against the stone window frame that was sealed shut for the winter and let out a small breath. "I didn't move up here to bother you or keep watch over you. You don't have to worry about me getting in your way."

"That's not what I—"

"Just let me finish, Rose," His brown eyes finally looked up to me, but seeing their usual warmth replaced with strain kept me quiet. "I wanted to show you that I was serious about keeping my position and I wouldn't abandon your family. I made you a promise and I plan to keep it. Even if we can't be together," his voice hitched the tiniest bit. I don't think anyone else would have even noticed, but I knew him all too well. "I want to at least be the man you've helped me to become. You mean so much to me Rose and I'd rather have you in my life in some small way than not at all. I—I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you either." My answer was immediate and direct, despite the churning storm inside me. Even after what I had put him through, what he was planning to put himself through, Dimitri would rather see me live my life with someone else than not see me at all. His self-deprecating benevolence somehow pained me while equally filling me with love.

"So, we can try to be friends," he asked hopefully.

I could feel tears start to brim my eyes. I'm not sure how I had any left after the amount I had cried that day, but I fought to push them back. I cleared my throat and took a step towards him as I responded, "No."

Dimitri's head fell and his shoulders depleted. His loose hair trickled over his face, hiding his pain from me. I took three more hurried steps until I was directly in front of him and placed my hands on each side of his face. He resisted at first, trying to look away, but eventually, he gave in and brought his hands up to my wrists as his eyes met mine again.

"No, we can't be friends, Dimitri, because I want something infinitely more." He looked at me with uncertainty, almost as if he were afraid to believe what I was saying. I slid my hands down to his neck and gripped him tighter. "You were right. I will never love someone the way I love you, and I refuse to give that up. I choose this. I choose us. Tomorrow I'm going to tell Victor I'm declining the proposal."

Dimitri's forehead came to rest on mine as he took a deep, shuddering inhale. "You're certain," he quietly asked. "I don't want you to do this because I—"

Without letting him finish I pulled his lips down to mine, smothering any insecurities that might have leached out. His hands moved from their grip around my wrists to the small of my back, pulling me against him as I raised up on to my toes. He held on to me so fiercely, almost as if he left even the smallest space in his grasp I might slip away. And maybe he was afraid that I still might.

I carefully moved my mouth away only to press my lips against his jaw, then his cheek, then the space below his ear, each time whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

His hold finally loosened the tiniest bit and he pulled back to bring my face back to his. I hadn't even realized that I started crying until he brought his thumb up to my cheek and brushed away the tears. "It's alright Roza. You're here now. It's alright."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him as he gently ran his hand along my hair. I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek into his shoulder as he held on to me, mumbling soothing words against the top of my head in his native tongue. I didn't understand what any of them meant, but the sound of his deep, melodic voice steadily lulled me into appeasement.

After a few lingering moments, I slowly slipped down off the balls of my feet and brought my hands down to his chest. Dimitri studied me for a moment, making sure I was settled before he asked, "Rose, what are you going to tell him? I have a feeling Victor won't take this lightly."

"He won't," I agreed. "But I have something he won't be able to refute."

Dimitri's brow furrowed and I could tell more questions were on the tip of his tongue. I brought a finger up to his lips and gave him a pleading look. "I know there are things I still need to explain, and I promise I will, but not now," I brought my hand down and began guiding us towards his bed. "Right now I just want to be with you."

Dimitri lifted his hand and softly brushed two fingers along my face from the corner of my brow all the way down to the tip of my chin. His light touch left a tingling trail behind that gradually spread down my neck and into my chest. His hand continued to move down until it reached my neck, his long fingers wrapping around it as the other hand rose up my body. It slipped under my shirt at my waist to delicately caress my bare skin. Normally, this is the point where I would lose control and attack his mouth with mine, but this time I remained perfectly still, letting him gently run his hands over every part of me as he slowly peeled the clothes from my body.

When he finally removed the last piece, Dimitri effortlessly picked me up and placed me on his large bed. He tugged his tunic over his head before leaning down to hover over me. Even with his feet still placed on the ground, Dimitri's stature abled him to brush his lips along mine as he began untying his trousers with one of his hands, the other pressed into the fur blankets beside my head. Between each small kiss, he would lift his head up to look me in the eyes. Every movement, every action was so intimate and even though it felt more natural to close them, I kept my eyes fixed on his, not wanting to miss a single moment. As soon as I heard his pants fall to the ground I scooted myself back and pulled him closer to me.

He stayed there for a moment, alternating between deeper kisses and sweet touches as I ran my fingertips up and down the sides of his sculpted body. One of his hands eventually came up to brush a piece of my hair back, never able to resist running his fingers through it as he serenely said, "I love you, Roza."

I was never really one to believe in the concept of soul mates, but in that moment it no longer felt like we were two individual people. Every part of him was left in offering, waiting for me to claim it—and every part of me was already his.

"I love you Dimitri, and I promise I'll never leave you again."

He brought his mouth down to mine, slipping his tongue between my lips as he simultaneously pulled us closer together. Any sign of emptiness I had felt from the afflictions of the day was completely filled under his care, every gap sealed with each thrust Dimitri pressed deeper inside me.

Tomorrow I would explain everything, but for now, I just wanted to spend the rest of the night consumed in Dimitri's tender, loving embrace.

* * *

 _Long ago, and miles away, there was a young princess, orphaned in a time of war. She was called upon to lead the armies of her kingdom, for there was no other. She was the fiercest of warriors, beloved of her people, unstoppable on the field. She rode out every day and saved her subjects in battle after battle._

 _But every night, when the fighting was done, she was alone. Until one day, a peasant boy came looking to join her army. Lonely and angry and fierce as she. For the first time, she found that when she strode out onto the field to save others, there was someone at her side...who had come to save her. - Excerpt from The Death of Love_

* * *

 **A/N:** I am sooo in love with the songs for this chapter. Rescue Me is pretty much the theme song for this entire story (and it's been a true test of strength to not use it in every single Romitri scene) but the others are some of my favs as well. One thing that I've really enjoyed creating in this story is Rose's sturdy support system. Not only does she have Lissa, but her friends and our favorite wolf companion are always there looking out for her. It really helps her see what her life could be like if she acted selfishly for once instead of succumbing to her responsibilities.

Also, I put that excerpt from The Death of Love that we saw at the beginning of the story back in here as a brief reminder, since you'll see some more of it again soon. Specifically, at the end of Part 1 and the beginning of Part 2, which dun dun dun is coming soon! Only a couple more chapters and we'll finally be there.

Thank you to everyone out there who has been supportive and who are looking forward to the future of this story! I promise I'm going to make it worth it for you ;)


	25. Chapter 25

**Part 1 Chapter 25**

 **RPOV**

 **Song: Absolution by Pretty Reckless**

"What are you saying, Rose?"

At the start of the day, I left Dimitri's chambers and immediately went to Victor's office. I didn't want to waste another minute. I was done hiding. When I first arrived my uncle was welcoming and intent to indulge in pleasantries with me. I guess he had a right to be after I'd basically helped him seal one of the greatest alliances our kingdom had ever made, but as I dove into why I was really there his voice no longer had that genial tone.

"I'm saying that I won't do it. I won't marry him."

Victor regarded me seriously for a moment, letting my words hang in the air. He slowly rose to stand from his seat and began walking towards me from around the desk. "Listen, Rose. I know you think you love him, but it's just infatuation. You're still young. You'll see over time that this was just a flitting thing and you would have thrown away your entire future for something that will easily fade."

Anger began to rise inside me as he tried to belittle what Dimitri and I had—a love like ours could never fade. "Don't speak to me like I'm a child," I gritted through my teeth. "What I feel for Dimitri isn't just some little crush that can be washed away by the promise of ships and riches from some foreign lord. Do you really think I'm so naive to give up on my responsibilities for something so trivial? I love him. With every part of me. And I'm not letting him go."

There was a finality in my voice that I never used around my family. It was if I was back on the battlefield commanding the respect that I'd earned, but this battle wouldn't be won with the usual techniques and Victor made it very clear that he was not an easy adversary.

"I'm sorry Rose, but I cannot accept this. As a successor of the Dragomir line, you must uphold your duty to this kingdom. Your parents left me in charge for a reason and it's time for you to fall in line."

Victor didn't normally use his position as a weapon, but I could tell that he was beginning to feel backed into a corner and was desperately grasping for control. I took a step towards him and fixed my eyes with his as I lowly spoke, unsheathing a weapon of my own. "You forget, Victor. I am not a true heir of the Dragomir family."

His posture went rigid and a small breath caught in his throat.

"You and I both know what damage would occur if others found out. If they knew that you tried to set up an arrangement with a common Dhampir rather than a Dragomir Princess. It would bring chaos and disgrace to our kingdom."

Victor's dark brows rose to his forehead. "You wouldn't," he stammered. "You can't. How could you do that to Vasilisa?"

I'm not sure if it was another ploy to use my best friend against me or not, but either way, the mere mention of her name caused my austere countenance to falter just a little. I thought back to the other day when she had offered the same thing I was now and filled my argument with confidence. "I can say without a doubt that she would support me in any choice I made, just as I would her."

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO SELFISH," Victor shouted. "I have dedicated these past years to make sure you and your sister were setup to rule St. Vladimir's peacefully and you are willing to throw it all away for some Dhampir foreigner? You're a stupid, stupid girl Rose. I can't and I WON'T let you get away with this!"

Victor's insults fueled my rising anger until I felt like I would explode with rage. I opened my mouth to fire back at him, when suddenly the tower walls filled with the sounds of the watchman's horns.

Our heads whipped to his window at the sounds as we silently counted the deafening blares. One blow for friendly visitors, two for strangers approaching, three for invaders, and four for Strigoi.

I held my breath as the snaring sound echoed throughout the room. _One. Two. Three_. When the horns stopped at three I let out a sigh of relief that we weren't about to go up against our deadliest enemy. However, reality sunk in that we were under attack and I moved to leave the room.

"Rose! Wait," Victor called out to me. After everything he had just said I wanted to slam the door behind me, but the smallest hint of worry in his voice caused me to pause. "You don't have to go. You should stay behind the walls where you can be protected."

I turned to face him, bitterly wondering if the only reason he even wanted me safe is so he wouldn't lose the chance to marry me off, but when I saw the fear in his green eyes, I knew his concern was absolute. But whether he cared for my well being or not, there was nothing that could stop me from upholding my duty as Marshall.

"That's where you're wrong, Vic," I sternly spoke. "I _do_ have to go."

Without giving him a chance to respond I flew from the room and raced down the stairs. Once I made it outside, the city was already in chaos. There were townsfolk panicked and fleeing from their homes, trying to get to the Southern point of the wall to safety. The Guardians were trying their best to maintain order, but I could see a similar look of fear behind their stone masks. I began barking out orders to some of the men as I moved towards the watchtower and they immediately obeyed.

Once I arrived some of my top men were already there, including Dimitri. "What's happening," I hurriedly asked. "Who is it?"

"It's the humans," the Guardian on watch spoke. "Almost a thousand of them. One of the scouts says he saw banners with the gold lily emblem."

"The Sage King," I muttered to myself. I wasn't exaggerating when I said they could outnumber us ten to one. Luckily, with the advancement of our new recruits and some craftier methods, we may be able to pull this off, but I didn't want to fight them. I had hoped taking out the pack of Strigoi would have prevented this from happening, but it appeared I couldn't have been more wrong. I looked up to see the men all staring at me, waiting for orders from their commanding officer. I glanced at Dimitri, hoping to find the answer in his eyes, but the same thoughts of reluctance I had seemed to be coursing through him as well.

As much as I didn't want to fight these humans who were only taking orders from their king, I knew that the threat to our own home was far more important.

"Constable Belikov, I think it's time you went and got your armor."

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: Burn the Witch by Queens of the Stoneage, Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy, Zombie by Bad Wolves**

"Return the Sage Princess or we will attack!"

It was the same thing the humans had been shouting for the last hour. We had no idea what they were talking about. Rose had sent men throughout the kingdom to question the human girl's whereabouts, but no one even knew who she was. It was well into the night by now and if she had indeed gone missing somewhere between our kingdom and their's, it was likely Strigoi had found her. God help her soul.

Rose had tried to hail their leader to approach for negotiations, but they were refusing to come anywhere near us. They claimed we would try to use our witchcraft on them and render their submission against their wills. Although Moroi had the ability, compulsion was not something they used for frivolity. Many rarely used it at all and only when absolutely necessary. But it seemed these humans were especially skeptical and radical in their beliefs.

"Return the Sage Princess or we will attack!"

"You'd think after an hour they'd come up with something better to say," Guardian Castile scoffed beside me.

The majority of our men were positioned right outside the gates primed for attack while the rest lined the top of the walls with their bows and arrows at the ready. The walls of St. Vladimir's would hold against an attack, but we still wanted to show our strength so they wouldn't be tempted to try. The humans had at least three times as many men as we did, and Rose told me that they had even more back at their kingdom, but our strength was a definite advantage...and by the look on some of the human soldier's faces, they knew.

Chris and Tasha requested to come with us to fight as well, but Rose insisted they stay behind. Not only was their safety imperative, but the use of magic on the battlefield would only cause more maliciousness with the humans. I had also made Daisy stay behind, not wanting to make this fight more bloody than need be.

"Hold your positions," Rose shouted from the other end of the line. Despite the obvious threat the humans were presenting, she didn't want to attack unless absolutely necessary—a sentiment I shared. Even if the best case scenario played out and we were met with a swift victory, lives would be lost today. I just hoped the humans came to their senses and those lost lives didn't have to be at my hands.

The array of torches flickered in the distance as the wind picked up and an eerie whistling air fell upon the valley. A few of the men behind me began shuffling uneasily as a strange feeling washed over me. I glanced to my right to see Castile rolling his shoulders before he turned to me as well.

"Do you feel that," he asked.

"Yes."

Something in the air changed again, creating even more restlessness in the men.

"What is it?" I could see Castile's hand move to the hilt of his sword nervously.

"I don't—"

Before I could finish, the entire field that was illuminated by the moon mere seconds ago slowly began to turn black. Everyone's faces simultaneously shot up to the sky to see a dark mass covering the full moon. We watched in awe as the shape painstakingly crept across it until there was nothing left but a small glowing white outline. No one made a single noise. Not one panicked question or even a shaky breath seeped out as we all stared up at the dark sky.

After a few moments of blackened silence, the large mass began inching away, but this time a bright red color took shape in its path. The men could no longer hold in their shocked reactions and I could hear rising whispers and gasps as the now blood red moon was finally revealed. I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening, I looked down at my arms and exposed hands, wondering if the red color was affecting us in some unnatural way, but everything else seemed to be perfectly normal.

"It's them," one of the humans across the field shouted, pulling my attention back up.

"It's their demon witchcraft! They are trying to put a spell on us," another called out fearfully.

I looked up to the red moon again, wondering if this could be a result of Moroi magic, but I had never even heard of such immeasurable power. And even if it were possible, what would be their motivation for doing so?

The human's cries grew louder and fiercer, saying that they needed to stop us before we killed them all. Rose glanced around to our men, telling us to remain steady before her eyes flicked up to the archers above. She knew just as well as I that pacifism was beginning to no longer be an option for us. The leader of the Sage Army raised a banner above him as he sat on his horse, calling something out to his men behind him before turning back to us with a determined glare in place. Not a moment later he charged forward with the front line of his army.

"Ready men," Rose called out as she raised her sword above her head. We all pulled our weapons out and sank into a defensive stance as one. Those short moments as the humans charged at us were some of the longest seconds of my life. The ground shook as their feet and horses pounded into the earth, the red light of the moon creating a fire and brimstone atmosphere. Rose waited in the middle of the troops, staying perfectly still as they gained ground only dropping her hand at the last possible second.

As her sword came down, an array of arrows launched into the sky, briefly covering the reddened moon before plunging into the swarm of approaching humans. This went on a few more times as the men tried to inch closer to us, and each time I heard those arrows loose, my blood pumped faster in my veins. A good portion of their forces was knocked down with every wave, but eventually, some of them managed to make it through. Only then did Rose give the signal to attack—and without a moment's hesitation, we charged forward at full speed, a simultaneous roar sweeping towards our assailants.

...

The battle had lasted hours before the humans finally retreated. We had hoped after seeing there was no way they would even get past us to make it to the wall that they would quickly surrender, but they were relentless. Many of the men screamed, "For the princess," as they ineptly ran towards us. Their love and devotion to their princess were somewhat admirable, but the dedication to the idea that we had taken her lead to their ultimate downfall. If they just would have talked to us. If they just would have listened.

By the time the battle was over, I was completely exhausted. Each time my sword sunk into another body I could feel my heart lurch for them. I tried my best to remain impassive and ruthless, remembering that these people were here to cause us harm, but it was hard not to feel something. Blood coated my armor and sword, the red of the moon almost making the splatters look black. I unbuckled one of the straps near my neck, my armor suddenly feeling too tight around me. I wiped some of the excess blood from my neck and ran my hand along the damp earth to clean it.

"Dimitri."

Rose's voice caused my head to whip up towards it. She still had half of her hair pulled back in braids and as she stood above me she resembled a fierce battle goddess. However, her expression was anything but vehement. I could see her eyes worriedly rake over me, inspecting me for injuries.

I stood from my crouched position and took a step towards her. I placed a hand on her shoulder, wordlessly letting her know I was alright earning me a tight nod in response.

"The humans have fled. I plan to send a small party to the Sage King's kingdom when the sun comes up to see if they are willing to negotiate. It's likely they will return with more forces if they still believe we have their princess."

I nodded in agreeance to her plan, but I think we both knew that trying to reason with them at this point would be useless. We just had to hope that either the princess was found, or they would give us a small reprieve before attacking again.

"Thank you for fighting Dimitri," Rose's focus moved to my blood-soaked sword, her voice growing graver. "I—I wish it didn't have to be this way. I didn't want it to be."

I could almost feel the pain in her voice as she spoke, the shadows of dead bodies filling the field around us no doubt fueling her guilt.

"I know, Rose," I moved my clean hand to her chin and gently raised it. "You did what you had to do."

She took a shaky inhale as her eyes met mine and drew her lips between her teeth. After a lingering moment, she opened her mouth to say something else, but her words faltered as her eyes flicked behind me, something suddenly catching her attention. I turned around to see what had drawn her only to spot a lone man standing at the top of a hill on the west side of the wall. Rose's eye narrowed at him in deep concentration before shooting wide.

"Dimitri, look!"

I looked him over again, wondering what could possibly be so intriguing about this man, other than the fact that the majority of his troops had vanished and there he was still as a statue within our boundaries. However, as the red color of the moon finally began to fade back to a golden white, the light illuminated something on his vest. A symbol I had seen once before. A symbol that signified the hatred for the Dragomir line.

"The íonachta," I whispered under my breath.

He stared at us motionlessly for a moment and I began to wonder if he was in a state of shock, when he finally turned around and began slowly walking over the hill's edge.

"We have to go after him," Rose rushed out, taking three long strides towards him before I managed to latch on to her arm.

"Wait, not alone," I pressed. "We aren't sure how many more of them are over there."

I could tell she wanted to take off and ignore all rational thought, but she headed my advice and turned back towards the front of the wall.

"Baker, you four," she called out, pointing to a group of men piling up some of the dead bodies, "come with us. Walsh, O'Connor, and Kelly follow us about twenty paces behind. You two on the right, and you on the left."

They straightened up and began making their way towards us. I could tell they were just as exhausted as I felt, but we all pushed those thoughts aside and followed our leader over the hill.

It was a strange sight. Where we had just left was full of destruction and death, the moist ground now covered with mud and blood, but this small patch of land mere yards away was completely untouched. A thick layer of white snow covered the lowland, the only thing marring the perfect, smooth surface were footsteps from where the human had tracked. We looked around for a moment, trying to see if there was anything awry but the only thing in our line of sight was the human sitting alone in the snow.

"Stay close," Rose said to the men behind us as we carefully made our approach.

The man didn't turn around as we grew closer. In fact, he didn't even move. I glanced over at Rose curiously, unsure what to make of this scene, but her eyes were fixed ahead on her target. When we were a few steps away Rose held up her fist, signaling the other men to stay put. Our feet crunched into the ground as we walked around to stand ahead of him. I leaned down a little to the side to try and get a look at his face as Rose crouched beside him. The human still didn't move, even without proper clothing for this weather and his lower body buried in snow, he wasn't even shivering.

"Rose, something isn't right," I quietly said.

She reached her fingers out towards his vest and traced the Celtic spiral etched into it. "I know," she supplied. "But I had to see if it was really them. Do you think they had something to do with the Sage Princess?"

"It's possible. Try asking him."

She leaned closer to his face and asked him a short series of questions: his name, what he was doing here, where he was from. No answer came. After a pause, Rose lifted her hand and waved it in front of his face. His glazed eyes didn't move. It was only then I realized what was going on.

"He's compelled," I nervously bit out.

"I think you're right," she rose to stand beside me and finally looked away from him to regard me. "But who would—"

Without warning Rose's body stiffened and her hand shot to her side. Recognizing the familiar tell, I immediately unsheathed my sword and called out to the men that we were under attack.

A couple of them looked at me curiously, but before they could even register what was going on our enemies were upon us. Two Strigoi seemed to materialize out of nowhere as they launched out of the woods, landing on top of the troops and dragging them down into the snow. Red splashed across the white surface as sharp teeth sunk into the men's throats and the others began moving towards them to attack the assailing beasts. Two more Strigoi ran up behind Rose, and I sprinted to her side to stop one from landing a deadly blow. Rose took out the other in a few swift strikes, but for every Strigoi we took down, four more seemed to appear.

"Fall back," she shouted between strikes. "Save yourselves." But her commands were no use. The men fell one by one within minutes, only taking down a handful of Strigoi with them before they perished.

There were three encircling me with Rose a few yards away battling another three. I resisted the urge to look at her and directed my focus on my own enemies—I would be no use to her if I went down too—but our odds weren't looking good.

I swung my sword across a lanky Strigoi's chest, the charmed silver burning his skin, causing him to scream out in pain. The wound would only slow him for a short while so I used the opportunity to lunge my weapon at another's chest but my armor was slowing me down and I missed the strike. One of the beasts dug his foot directly into my back sending me straight to the ground. Before I could even flip over another kick landed directly into my side sending me soaring through the air. I landed hard and rolled across the snow as my face smacked against a protruding rock.

I took in a deep gasp of air, trying to catch my breath and align my vision. When I looked back up, the three Strigoi were leering at me with self-assured grins marred by fangs. I quickly glanced to Rose to see one of her assailants try to latch on to her shoulder from behind, but as soon as his hand made contact with her armor a revolting sizzling sound and a screech of pain erupted.

 _Her armor was charmed._

Her attacker desperately gripped his wrist and Rose used the moment of distraction to take him down.

I shook my head and pushed myself up to make my way back over to the Strigoi, but before I could reach them, something latched on to me from behind and flung me back to the ground. It had been a while since I was so blatantly caught off guard, but when I looked up it became painfully obvious why. Other than my overbearing exhaustion, before me stood the largest Strigoi I had ever seen. He cleared my height by a good five inches and looked like he could eat a sheep whole if prompted to. In his hand was a thick handle connected to the chain of an iron flail. Suddenly I was glad to have my armor. The Strigoi began swinging the metal ball beside him, making a threatening whooshing sound as it cut through the air.

The other three Strigoi began making their way towards us and I was quickly coming to the realization that I was out of options. I looked behind the giant Strigoi hoping to catch Rose's eyes as she desperately tried to fight off the remaining two assailants. I saw those beautiful brown orbs widen with fear as she noticed the situation I was in, but I refused to let this be the last way she saw me. If I was going down, I'd go out fighting, not battered and broken on my knees.

I latched on to my sword and dug it into the ground, using the hilt to pull myself up.

"Dimitri," Rose called out to me, and I took in a deep breath as the circle of monsters began to close in. I spared her one last glance as she shoved one of the Strigoi off of her and gave her a small nod. There wasn't much else I could do in that moment, but I wished there was at least some way for me to convey my undying love for her. Maybe going out fighting would be enough. Maybe I could distract them enough for her to make an escape. Either way, I had to try.

"COME ON," I roared at the giant, eliciting a menacing smile.

They all simultaneously took one more step towards me, ready to end me once and for all, when suddenly a horrific sound froze us all in place.

And then chaos erupted.

The Strigoi began gripping their skulls and batting the air in front of them as if they were under attack, but I couldn't see anything in their way. I looked back to Rose again and realized the bloodcurdling noise was coming from her. She was screaming out in agony, the sound ripping at my insides the longer it went on. Her eyes were screwed shut and tears were seeping out of the corners. One of her hands was clutched against her head as she screamed, the other grasping tightly around her ripped necklace.

 _The Darkness. The Spirits. She had unleashed them_.

There was nothing I could see that would indicate how many there were or what they were doing, but whatever was happening, it was obviously affecting the Strigoi. I leveraged the moment and lunged my weapon at the Strigoi closest to me and brought him down with just enough time to duck a female's counter attack. I crouched down to the ground and shot my sword up as her arms flew over me, making contact with the sweet spot at her chest. She fell limp beside my knees and without a moment's hesitation I whipped around and sliced my sword across another Strigoi's neck, his decapitated head rolling across the snow.

Rose was still gripping her head with the Strigoi beside her relentlessly trying to get through the invisible blockade towards her. I reached into my harness and flung a knife at him, landing it directly into his chest. Rose seemed to finally come to and launched her foot backward, sending the knife further into his heart. I could tell she was quickly losing a battle with consciousness and I had to get through this last giant assailant to reach her. He was still somewhat distracted, but not nearly as much as before.

I ran towards him and slid across the snow on my knees, slicing at his shins as I brisked by. He swung his flail directly at my head and I leaned my back against the ground to avoid it just in time. I deftly hopped up and sunk another knife into the space between his neck and shoulder, making firm contact, but despite the excruciating pain the maneuver caused him, he used the opportunity of my weapon lodged into him to swing at me once again. The spiked ball made direct contact with my chest, knocking the wind out of me as I soared to the earth and sending sharp pieces all the way through my armor.

My hand came up to my chest, warm liquid completely covering it as I brought it back down. The ground began to shake under my other palm and I flipped over just in time to see the Strigoi pouncing on top of me. I caught hold of his shoulders and cried out as his sharp nails sliced a deep gash into my bicep. I tried to push back against him, but his weight and strength were bearing down on me. I looked around, desperately searching for something I could use when I noticed the hilt of my knife still sticking out of the Strigoi's neck. I channeled the last bit of strength I had and rammed my forehead into his nose, the cracking sound revealing my success in breaking it. He inched back the slightest bit, giving me the room I needed to reach up and lurch the knife out of his skin before flipping it over and shooting it straight up into his chest.

A furious snarl formed across his face and I thought for a moment I may have missed my target, but that look quickly fell flat and the Strigoi's body went limp on top of mine. I cried out as his weight landed on top of my open wound and did my best to squirm out from under him. I managed to get my upper body free, but my legs were still trapped.

Spotting my sword nearby, I squeezed my hand, happy to find that the wound in my arm wasn't completely immobilizing my grip...yet. I tugged and twisted, trying to get out from underneath the dead body, but the more I moved the more blood began to ooze out of my chest and arm. I could still hear Rose fighting behind me and increased my attempts to break free.

I had to get to her. I had to help.

The entire front of my body underneath my crumpled armor filled with warm liquid and my good arm started to fall weak as I tried to hold myself up. I looked over to see Rose grappling with the last Strigoi. She seemed to have the upper hand and was close to beating him, but then out of the depths of the treeline beside us, another began stealthily creeping towards her.

"Rose," I hoarsely called out to her in warning.

I wasn't sure if she was too focused on her attacker, or if she could even hear me, but the Strigoi was gaining ground and she wasn't turning around. I began desperately clawing at the snow as I tried to reach my sword. I could only hope that her charmed armor would be enough to save her if the Strigoi got too close. Then a silver glint of something caught my eye. I looked up again, blackness increasingly outlining my vision and spotted a long shape behind the Strigoi's back, clasped between his hands.

Rose sunk her stake into the Strigoi in front of her just as the other began lifting the object above his head. I realized all too late that it was an enormous, widened sword.

"ROZA," I shouted with every ounce of air I had left in my lungs, but the Strigoi was too fast.

Before she could turn around his hands came down and one swift motion, slicing through her armor and down her back. Blood immediately poured from the fatal wound and Rose sunk to her knees, her body swaying slightly before her chest hit the ground. I screamed her name over and over as the Strigoi's hands came up again, begging her to get up. But this time his hands never came down. An arrow suddenly sunk directly between his eyes and the Strigoi fell back with a yelp.

I called Rose's name again, hoping to at least hear a semblance of a response to tell me she was still alive. When I was met with silence I reached out to her still body willing her to me before darkness completely took over my vision and my face landed in the cold, bloodied snow.

* * *

 _Then there came the darkest battle of the war. The princess and her peasant boy stood, side by side, and vowed that they would be separated by nothing less than death itself. She fell to an enemy sword and died before his eyes._

 _And those who heard the story cried for the death of love_.

\- _Excerpt from The Death of Love_

* * *

'


	26. Chapter 26

**Part 1 Chapter 26**

 **DPOV**

 **Song: Descent by Lawless, Hurt by Johnny Cash**

"Roza!"

I jolted awake with a start. My body was no longer a mix of hot and cold from the blood leaking out of me onto the icy snow. My vision was still a blur and my head was pounding, but it was light out.

How long had I been out?

Either way, I had to get to her. I had to help her.

When I realized my legs were finally free, I jumped to stand, only to immediately come crashing back down. I let out a yell as my hands and knees painfully hit a hard, stony surface instead of the moist field.

"Rose. Rose, where are you?"

I shook my head and tried to stand again when a stomping sound moved towards me. I held up my fists, prepared for attack as a pale figure inched into my line of sight.

"Woah, Dimitri. What are you doing?" The voice sounded familiar but I didn't back down. "Eddie, get in here now!"

Another figure rushed forward and my vision began to sharpen the slightest bit. When I recognized the two men in front of me, kneeling down to help me up I finally dropped my fists.

"Help Rose," I groggily said as I put weight on my feet. I looked down to see that they were bare and realized I was standing inside the Dragomir castle—my chambers to be exact. I tried to walk forward, out of my room before stumbling against Eddie and Christian as they tried to support my weight.

"Hey, hey. Easy big guy," Eddie tried to calm me. "You shouldn't be up and walking yet. The Princess did a lot to speed things up, but you still have a ways to go."

"Speed things up," I questioned, not understanding a thing he was saying. It was then I remembered the hole in my chest. I looked down to see my armor and clothing gone and a bandage tightly wrapped around in its place. There was no way I should be alive. Even though I'd obviously managed to not bleed out in the field, that wound alone would have killed me mere hours later. "Wha—what happened?"

I became so distracted by my miraculous state that I willfully allowed them to place me back on to my bed.

"Lissa healed you," Christian explained as he took a step back.

"Healed me?"

The dark-haired Moroi nodded and reached for a cup of water at my bedside. "Yes. With Spirit." I took the cup from him suddenly overcome with thirst and gluttonously gulped its contents down. "She healed you enough for you to make a recovery on your own, but didn't want to use all her magic at once in case…"

His voice trailed off and his crystal blue eyes looked down to the ground.

"In case what," I raspily pushed out.

"In case we found Rose," Eddie somberly supplied.

 _Rose_. A vision of her falling down into the snow crashed against my skull. I suddenly felt dizzy and dropped the cup of water onto the ground.

"Where is she? I need to see her. Tell me where she is!" I tried to get up from the bed, but the young Guardian placed his hand on my shoulder to hold me down. Not that he'd have to use much strength to do so. I could feel my body growing weaker by the second.

"Dimitri, stop! She isn't here."

I stilled at Eddie's statement. _Not here? Where could she be?_ I looked between them, desperate for answers but it was Chris who finally spoke up.

"Not long after your group went out into the field one of the scouts saw a disturbance. The men rushed over to assist, but when they arrived you were the only one they found alive. She...she's gone."

Those two words radiated like a gong in my ears. The noise became deafeningly loud, making my head start to spin. _This can't be real. This can't be true. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up._

Christian picked the cup off the ground and filled it with more water from the vase at my table. "I know how hard this must be for you, but—"

"Get out," I harshly bit out, flinging my hand at the cup.

Eddie moved slightly away from me but still didn't get off the bed. "Belikov, listen. We can—"

"GET OUT!" I screamed with as much force as I could muster causing the two men to flinch.

After sharing a worried glance, Eddie and Christian obeyed my frenzied request and left me alone in my room. My pulse began to race and my breathing grew shallow and rapid. I couldn't control it and felt like my heart was on the verge of breaking out of my chest. I clutched the side of my head, my vision becoming dizzy again but this time it didn't even out. The room swirled until I closed my eyes and blackness covered my line of sight.

"Roza. Roza," I whispered as unconsciousness eventually overtook me once again.

...

The next few days were spent in a similar state. I would wake up every few hours, but couldn't hold on to lucidness long enough to get any straight answers. One of the days I woke to find Vasilisa by my side and I begged her to use her bond to find Rose. To help her.

Tears streamed down her face as she told me the connection was only open one way, something I already knew, but I refused to accept it. I could tell Vasilisa was in pain. I should have been somewhat comforted to be able to share that with someone, but I wasn't ready to admit it yet. I wasn't ready to let her go.

After almost a week's time, I could feel my strength slowly start to build and was finally able to stay awake long enough to get up and walk around. I didn't go far, the wound in my chest and arm still excruciating with each step I took, but I was at least able to get out of that damn room.

Christian tried to talk to me on several occasions, but never brought up the subject of Rose. I was still in denial and they were all terrified of my unstable condition. He told me that when I was well, he and Vasilisa wanted me to help them strategize the troops. That they were afraid the humans would return with more forces and they needed help protecting the kingdom. But as soon as I was able, all I wanted to do was leave and search for Rose. There was a chance she was still out there, and I had to be sure.

On the sixth day, I received a letter from my family. It had been weeks since I had heard from them and I hoped maybe Mark and Oksana had finally returned. If I could get in touch with them and figure out a way to help Vasilisa with her bond, maybe we could find out what happened to Rose.

I ripped the letter open and was surprised to see only one person's handwriting instead of the mix of my different family members. It was Yeva's.

 _Dimka,_

 _The Rose you loved is gone._

 _I know you have suffered a great loss, but you must resist the temptation to leave._

 _You need to stay and protect the Dragomir Princess. It is your destiny._

 _And a promise that you must fulfill._

 _-Yeva_

I stared at the words in my hands in a complete state of shock. There was no way the news of Rose's death could have made it all the way to my village. Especially given that the letter was most likely sent before the attack if it was to arrive within a fortnight.

That meant that she knew. Just as she always knew.

And it was at that moment, for the first time ever...I hated my grandmother.

I hated her telling me to go there in the first place; if I wouldn't have I would've never even met Rose. I wouldn't have fallen in love with her, and I wouldn't feel this pain that was tearing me apart. I hated her for not warning me about Rose's death; there may have been a way for me to stop it if she had. I hated her for telling me to stay in a place where I was constantly reminded of her. Where every turn, every corner I expected to see her standing there waiting for me, only to be met with emptiness and longing.

I crumbled the letter in my hands as my teeth grit together until I thought they would break. I looked around my room, at all the things that reminded me of home and one by one latched on to them, destroying every last bit. I launched a wooden chair at the wall until it was reduced to splintered pieces. I flung my books into the fire filling my room with soot and ash. My hands reached for items to wreck over and over as my fury completely took hold.

As I flung the last bit of remembrance at the wooden door, all my strength abandoned me and I came crashing to the floor.

There were only two things that could bring me to my knees: that was God...and Rose. She had unknowingly done so now as I collapsed to the ground screaming at the stone walls.

"Please. Please!" I begged. Over and over. Just as I had the night in my tent when she told me she was leaving me. I cried out her name, hoping it would bring her back as it had that night. But she never came. Not even when my throat had become so raw I thought it would bleed. This time—she was truly gone.

That tiny bit of hope I had been clinging to was shattered as my heart broke and my pleading rants were replaced by an unrecognizable sound. I would never see Rose again.

 _Roza_. _My Roza_... _was gone_.

'

 **CPOV**

 **Song: Fix You by Coldplay**

I never knew so much destruction could result from the loss of one person until I met Rose Hathaway.

Before she was gone, Lissa felt protected, Lissa felt safe. She felt loved. Now, paranoia coursed through the halls of the castle and hysteria was waiting on the brim. At first, I wasn't sure if Lissa would ever recover. She had spent days locked away in her room, refusing to see anyone. I knew she was in pain and the helplessness I felt to do anything about it was killing me. It was as if she didn't want anyone to see how much sorrow she was in—even those she trusted most. Thankfully, she eventually surfaced and began pouring herself into her political responsibilities. Some days she would stay up all through the Moroi night scouring the library for any books related to political warfare, histories of monarchs, and even Spirit. Others, I could hear her softly cry herself to sleep, the heartbreaking sounds of quiet whimpers filling the corridor.

But those were nothing compared to what came out of Belikov's room.

I had never heard heartache like that before in my life, and admittedly...it terrified me.

At first, he seemed to be in a state of denial, refusing to believe that Rose was truly gone. I was afraid he might try to leave before he was fully healed and wind up lost to us too. But something happened nearly a week after the attack, and he had a full-blown breakdown. I could hear his pained screams echoing throughout the castle for hours. When they finally stopped, I got up the nerve to go to his room, only to find it in shambles. He had completely destroyed it and was kneeling in the center of it, blankly staring at the ground.

I called his name so many times without a response that I had to practically shout it for him to finally look up. When he did, I was met with a ghost. A small piece of the man he once was, the rest destroyed by his despair.

I went back the next day, expecting him to be in a similar state, but was surprised to find his room completely cleaned and the Guardian nowhere in sight. At first, I panicked, thinking he had decided to leave after all, but one of the other castle guards told me they had seen him wandering about town. I decided to wait for him to return, but when he did I was floored by his state.

He was drunk.

And not just the 'had one too many' kind of drunk. The kind that had me wondering how he was still conscious. This went on for two more days before I finally decided it was time to tell Lissa. I wanted to avoid involving her. Although she was improving each day, she was still suffering on her own as it was, but I was running out of options. Victor had been holed up in his quarters since the attack, overridden with guilt at the news of Rose's disappearance and so far Dimitri hadn't been very receptive to any of the other Guardians. I knew if there was anyone that would be able to help bring him back, it would be Lissa.

"He's in bad shape, Liss. I think you should talk to him."

There were dark circles under her eyes, I wasn't sure when the last time she slept, and tangles throughout her hair as if she had been angrily twisting her hands through it. If the loss of her sister wasn't enough stress as it was, she was suddenly forced into a whirl of obligations now that Victor was unwell and the leader of their army was gone. I was surprised by how well she was holding it together despite the circumstances. She truly was incredible and was nothing but devout to her people. Tasha and I had been doing everything we could to lend a helping hand, but Lissa was the kingdom's leader and the people needed her guidance.

A serious look crossed her face and she gave me a small nod. "Where is he?"

"I'll take you to him. I don't want you to go alone," I insisted.

It's not that I was afraid Dimitri would hurt her or anything, he hadn't really seemed violent since that day he demolished his room. But I was more worried about what it would do to Lissa to see Dimitri this way. She had hopes that he would pull himself together and help her command the troops, and if she saw him in the state he was in now, it may cause her alarm.

"I'm perfectly capable of handling it myself," she irritably replied.

"Of course you are," I reached for her hand and placed it in mine. "I just want to help."

She regarded me for a moment before letting out a small sigh and standing to leave. "Fine you can come with me, but don't you dare utter a single peep. I will handle this my way. This is my responsibility, not yours."

The severity in her voice surprised me and I followed her out of the room close behind. "He's not our responsibility, Lissa. He's our friend."

I wasn't sure if she heard me because the fierce look on her face didn't falter and her quick pace didn't change. When we reached his quarters, Lissa barged through the door without even bothering to knock. Turns out knocking would have been pointless anyway since Dimitri's large form was sprawled out on the ground beside his bed. I wasn't sure if this time he was too drunk to make it in, or if he had somehow fallen out.

Lissa's cheeks turned red and her hands clenched into fists. She marched over to him and grabbed a pot of water that was idly sitting on his bedside table. She took a step back and flung its contents into the sleeping Dhampir's face. He immediately sat up, gasping for air as the water trickled down his loose hair and now soaked clothes.

Before he could say or do anything Lissa began berating him. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Slumping around like this castle is meant to be used as a personal tavern. How dare you! I didn't risk saving you just so you could act like a drunken fool."

Dimitri ran a hand over his face, clearing some of the water off, but didn't bother standing or even looking up to where either of us stood.

"I will NOT tolerate this behavior. You have some nerve thinking I would let this stand," she scoffed. "I'm ashamed of you, Dimitri. _Rose_ would be ashamed of you."

He still didn't make a move to respond, but his entire body visibly tensed at that last slight and I knew it had hurt him far more than he'd let on. I could tell his silence was frustrating Lissa more than anything else, and before I could stop her she crossed the room over to him and smacked him across the cheek.

Dimitri's face didn't even budge. With how worked up she was, I thought there would have been more force behind that action, but maybe the stress of everything had made her too weak to affect someone like him—or maybe she was too afraid of hurting him even more. Either way, the affront still obviously shamed him. His hollow eyes dipped to the ground and his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"SAY SOMETHING!" Her shout was more desperate than angry now and her hands were shaking at her sides. Lissa stared at him wildly, her chest heaving with rapid breaths. I thought she was about to go into an all-out rampage but suddenly, she knelt down to the ground in front of the Guardian and flung her arms around him instead.

Dimitri and I both froze in complete shock and I had to tightly clench my jaw to keep it from dropping to the floor. Lissa pressed her head into Dimitri's chest and he finally looked down at her. I could tell he was taken completely by surprise as his arms hovered above her, unsure what to do.

There was no doubt Lissa's sleeves and torso were becoming completely soaked with the lingering water left on Dimitri as she clung to him, but she didn't even seem to notice. Her shoulders started to shake and light whimpers drifted towards me as she began balling against his chest. She had been fighting so hard to conceal her grief from others, and yet seeing Dimitri this way had finally caused her to surrender to it.

"I can't do this alone Dimitri," she cried out, pain and desperation coating her sweet voice. "I can't do this without you. Please, please don't leave me too...I need you."

Her words finally prompted Dimitri's arms to move. He wrapped them around her and hugged her small form against him. Dimitri dipped his head down to rest on top of hers and a lone tear slipped from his eyes as they slowly closed. He turned his cheek and quietly spoke against the top of her hair, "I promise Princess, I won't leave you."

Her shoulders shook even more and Dimitri clutched on to her tighter. "I promise. I promise," he whispered over and over, causing my throat to clench when I realized he wasn't just saying it to her.

* * *

 **End of Part 1**

* * *

 **A/N:** Apologies for posting this later in the evening, but this chapter was a little hard to edit (as you can probably imagine). I know a lot of you probably won't "like" this one as much, but I hope the writing and emotion are still up to par. I really felt like a moment between Dimitri and Lissa was essential to this story given the closeness they share with Rose. Plus that scene just rips my heart out in the best way and I couldn't resist writing it.

We've finally come to the end of Part 1! As somber as it was, I cannot wait for you to see what's coming in Part 2. We are really going to get into some fun plot coming up. Thanks to everyone out there reading and I'm so grateful for all the support from last chapter. I promise I will make this story worth it for all of you ;)


	27. Part 2: Chapter 27

**Part 2**

 _"After his princess died, the peasant boy wandered the world lost to despair. Until one day, he came upon a being who told him his princess had been stolen, trapped in an enchantment._ _So now he seeks her, across this plain and every other. Because somewhere, sealed behind frozen glass or thick walls of deadly thorns, she sleeps waiting to be awakened._ _And someday, without fail, he will find her."_

 _\- The Death of Love_

* * *

 **Chapter 27**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Fascination by SHEL, On the Sun by Moon Hooch**

" _Rozzaaa…"_

The strangled sound echoed in my ears.

I could feel a thrum banging against my skull.

Images. Flashes of white and crimson tried to surface but quickly slipped away to be replaced by the same blackness as before.

My eyelids were heavy. Too heavy to open. But I tried anyways.

My fingers twitched at my side and one of my legs jutted out in a kick; little pieces of me slowly starting to wake.

There was a voice, maybe two, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. That same sound ringing in my ears was too distracting.

I finally managed to crack my eyes open the tiniest bit, but all I saw was green. Deep emerald green, like a familiar forest.

"The pines," I tried to croak out, but my voice became caught in my dry throat.

Something cool came up to touch my forehead. I tried to turn my head away, but something else stopped me and the movement made me feel sick. I opened my mouth to protest, but I was tired. So tired. I heard the voices again, but before I could make out what they were saying, I drifted back into my former restless state.

…

My eyes snapped open in an instant. Warmth from the golden rays hitting my skin alerting me to a change.

It was light out.

I tested my strength one limb at a time. My fists curled and uncurled, my feet pointed and flexed under a thin sheet, my head rolled from side to side. When I was satisfied, I slowly began to sit up. My body felt like it weighed about a thousand pounds and I let out a groan as more of the light came into my line of sight.

My vision was no longer blurred and my surroundings were blindingly clear. Despite all the light covering every inch of my body, I was inside. In a bedroom to be exact. My eyes traced over the lavish red blankets and pillows as my hands sank into gold silk sheets. There were four large posts with etched vines intricately snaking around them and a sheer canopy draped above to encase me in the luxurious bed.

I rolled my shoulders and stretched out my legs before flopping them over the edge. One of my hands instinctively shot up to my chest, as if it was searching for something that should be there. I wasn't sure what, but when I was only met with empty skin I felt like something was missing. Something important.

When I pressed both my hands into the mattress to stand, I noticed something cool around my wrist. A silver bracelet cuffed tightly against my skin. It was painfully boring and kind of ugly, my first reaction was to take it off, but something stopped me. Almost like a voice telling me not to. Although unsure who or what it belonged to, I didn't dawn on it for long because my attention was immediately pulled to another new discovery as I rose to my feet. I expected to touch something hard and cool, but my bare toes sunk into a soft, fuzzy material instead. I looked down to see the floor lined with a thick beige fabric. _Weird_.

As I peered around, I noticed the entire room was embellished with grandiose etchings along the walls, mirrors large enough to hold five people, candelabras with white stem candles residing on every end table. This had to be a dream.

I tested my balance with a few steps and was pleased to find I didn't fall over, although landing on the floor in that room would probably have felt like landing in a soft meadow. When the initial wobbliness began to fade I made my way over to the door. Even the handle was carved to look like pale vines were inching across it. I scoffed at it, wondering why someone would waste their time making something so minute into basically a work of art. It seemed silly.

But just when I thought I had seen the worst of it, as I opened the door I had to clutch onto that leafy handle to keep myself from careening back into the room. It was extravagant beyond belief. Grand white pillars sunk into marble floors that were so shiny, I swear I could see my face in them. Golden filigree etchings outlined every plane and even came out of the walls in some spots to make it look like the place was alive.

"Ho-ly-shite."

My mouth gaped as I looked up to see even more goldcrests covering the ceiling and crystal chandeliers hanging from above. The sun sparked off a few of the clear beads and I tilted my head to get a better look. _How the hell do people get up there to clean those?_

As my gaze came back down I slowly walked over to the balcony and rested my hands on the cool, smooth surface. The castle was enormous and the immaculate decor seemed to span across every inch of it. As I stood there, I realized I had no idea where the fuck I was, but it had to be the most ostentatious thing I had ever seen.

"Ehem."

I jerked around at the voice and reactively pulled my fists up to my face. There was a man standing there, regarding me with a hint of amusement. _How long had he been there? Had he been watching me?_

He placed his hands behind his back and took a confident step forward as he asked, "Are you lost, Princess?"

 _Princess?_ It sounded familiar, yet strange.

I glanced behind me towards the marble staircase before regarding him again.

"No. I'm pretty sure the best run away route is this way. I appreciate the concern, though."

He let out a loud laugh that made my body jolt. He took another step towards me and I gritted my teeth in a snarl.

"Hey, hey easy there tiger. I'm not going to hurt you," the man held up his hands in a passive gesture, but that didn't help me relax. Finally sensing that his close proximity was making me uneasy, he took a couple steps back and brought his hands down to his side. "I just want to talk, that's all."

I looked him over speculatively. He was adorned in a fine, deep blue velvet jacket etched in black and gold that fell down to the back of his knees. The material was so luxurious and rich, it looked heavy enough to weigh him down; however, he seemed to stand proud under it. The jacket was unbuttoned and pulled up higher on one shoulder than the other, almost as if he had quickly thrown it on, and underneath he had on a plain white tunic half tucked into tight black trousers. To complete his ensemble were a pair of sleek black riding boots that looked like they had never once stepped outside. I couldn't help but think he looked like a character had somehow stepped out of one of the grand paintings hanging on the walls.

As I observed him I could tell he wasn't carrying any weapons, that I could see, and judging by his overall posture and build he seemed relatively harmless. Actually, he seemed kind of feminine. So, I finally dropped my fists, but I didn't bother moving out of my defensive stance...just in case.

"Ah, that's better," he casually leaned against a nearby pillar and crossed his arms over his chest.

With my hands away from my face, I could now see even more details of him that I'd missed before. He was younger than I'd initially thought—about my age if I had to guess. His hair was a tawny brown color shaped in messy curls as if he had just woken up, but something told me it was actually meant to look that way. His jaw was sharp enough to cut glass and his strong brow somehow seemed to compliment his softer cheekbones. I had to admit, he was pretty good-looking...for a gaudy rich boy. His mouth arched into a small smile that lifted his eyes and I suddenly noticed something familiar. That color. The same green of emerald pine trees.

"It's you," my voice came out more accusatory than I had meant it to.

"It is I," he exaggeratedly lifted a hand above his head before bringing it down to outline his tall form. _Man, this guy's odd_.

"No, no, no," I shook my head and took a step closer, peering into his eyes. "I mean, I remember you. From in there," I pointed back to the room I had just exited.

"Ah, yes," the strange man cleared his throat. "It's good to finally see you awake. And don't worry," he leaned over and gave me a quick wink, "you were a perfect lady in your unconscious state."

I found that incredibly hard to believe.

When I didn't laugh at his apparent joke, he straightened back up and tried putting a slightly more serious note back into his voice. "Well, how incredibly rude of me. We haven't yet been introduced. I'm Adrian. Adrian Ivashkov," he gave me a small, polite bow.

 _Ivashkov. I knew that name. Where had I heard that name?_

I realized my manners were basically non-existent throughout our interaction and righted myself by giving him a quick curtsy. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Ivashkov. I'm—"

Suddenly, my mind went blank. _That's strange._

How hard was it to say a name? Out of everything I had done since waking up, this was probably the easiest thing to do. So, I tried again. "I'm—"

My tongue twisted in my mouth and my eyes darted around wildly. Why couldn't I say it? Why couldn't I tell him my name?

And then I abruptly realized...I didn't know it.

My breathing grew tight and rapid and my hand came up to my throat to keep it from closing shut. The grand room began getting smaller and smaller and I could feel the gold lined walls closing in to crush me.

"Woah, woah it's alright," Adrian's voice was followed by his hands latching on to my shoulders as he tried to stop me from swaying. My legs felt weak and I thought I might fall if it weren't for him holding me up. I kept trying to control my breathing, but every intake of air I took felt thin. Too thin.

"Look at me, Rosemarie. Look at me," Adrian's voice was sharp and commanding. My eyes reluctantly moved to reach his, but once they were set on those deep green orbs I was stuck. Even if I wanted to look away, I couldn't. It was as if there was nothing else in that room other than those beautiful emerald eyes. "You're okay. Everything is okay. Just breathe, Rosemarie."

With every word he spoke, I felt a sense of tranquility wash over me and slow my rapid breaths down. I felt tired again as if I could fall asleep standing in the hall, but something in those eyes kept me awake. Kept me at ease.

After a few more deep breaths, I finally spoke again. "It's Rose."

That friendly smile returned, replacing the worried expression that had formed as he held on to me, and he moved a couple of inches away while still keeping me in his grasp. "Apologies for the formalities, Rose. I'll be sure to avoid that next time."

This time I returned his smile. He gave a small nod, satisfied that I was alright and began to back up, causing a hint of nausea to stir inside me. I still felt calmer than before, but the more he moved away the more validity began to settle back into me. That's when I realized, "You—you compelled me!"

Remembering another small detail had me grasping for any and every cognizance I could find. But when I tried to open my thoughts my mind somehow felt blank, yet wildly full at the same time.

"Just a smidge," he shrugged innocently. "You were having a fit. I was just trying to help."

My brain felt like it was swelling and contracting. Bits and pieces of memories were trying to get out, but they seemed to crash into each other before I could decipher them clearly.

"Yeah well next time, don't. I have enough going on in my head, I don't need you messing with it." The correct terminology probably would have been that I didn't have enough going on in my head, but that was beside the point.

"Noted," he smirked.

"Gah do you always have to have the last word," I snapped, rubbing the sides of my temples. I'm not sure why I was reacting so harshly, but this guy was quickly starting to get on my nerves.

"No."

I looked at him pointedly and his lips sunk between his teeth as if he was physically trying not to speak.

We stood there silently for a moment, giving me a chance to digest what had just happened and a thousand questions to form. _What happened to me? How did I get here? Where was 'here'?_ I finally settled on one and quietly asked, "How did you know my name?"

He waited for a moment, almost as if to prove that he didn't have to speak, but coming to the conclusion that this time I actually wanted an answer he finally said, "My calvary and I were on our way to meet your family. We haven't officially met until now though."

It was a simple answer, but it suddenly caused a clear image to arise and a rush of emotions to flood through me. _My family. My sister._ Something was wrong, but I wasn't sure what. All I knew is I had to get to her...now.

"Lissa," I gasped out. "I have to go. I have to find her." I whipped around towards the stairs, but before I made it even three feet, something clasped around my arm.

"That's not a good idea," Adrian hurriedly spoke as I turned to face him with a menacing glare.

"Let me go, or you'll live to regret ever touching me." I wasn't sure if I could even shove him off me if I tried. He was much taller and probably twice as strong as me, but I suddenly felt like I could take on anyone and anything that threatened to stand in my way.

His eyes went wide and his hands immediately dropped, but he didn't stop trying to argue with me. "Listen, I know a lot has happened and you're confused, but you can't just flee with no idea where you are or where you're going. I mean look at you, do you really think you can make it across country dressed in your nightgown?"

I finally looked down to see what I was wearing and let out a horrified gasp. It was a pale, thin piece of fabric that was practically iridescent in the sunlight, barely concealing my naked body underneath. My hands shot up to my chest and waist, trying—and failing—to cover as much of my body as possible. I heard a small chuckle from behind me and shot daggers from my eyes in its direction.

Adrian was standing there completely amused with my situation and if I weren't practically naked I would have tried to tackle him to the ground and beat that tickled grin off his polished face. Instead, I let out an aggravated growl and raced back to the room I had woken in.

Just before I slammed the door shut behind me I heard him call out, "See you around, Little Dhampir."

I looked around, agitated and angry with no clue what to do next. I pulled at the ends of my hair and began pacing over the smooth soft fabric of the ground. He was right. I had no idea where we were or how to get back home. I tried to think about what I was doing before I left, but the more I tried to remember a sharp headache began building behind my eyes. I didn't even know why I thought Lissa may be in trouble or if she really was, but there was a gnawing feeling in my gut telling me something wasn't right.

One thing was for certain, I had to find a way to get the fuck out of this place. And if I couldn't remember how or why, I'd just have to find someone to help me do it.

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: Lykee Li I know Places**

 _Dear Roza,_

 _Your funeral was today. Or ceremony I should say since there is no body for us to bury._

 _At first, I thought there wasn't anything I wouldn't give to see you one last time even in such a grim place, but now I know seeing you in that lifeless state, without that captivating fire filling you, would have been my ultimate undoing._

 _I never thought an empty coffin could feel so heavy. Even in the confines of my room, I can still feel the weight of it pressing down on me._

 _Lately, my mind has been playing cruel tricks on me. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night screaming your name. Others, I roll on to my side thinking that you are still there. Those are somehow immensely worse. I find myself clinging to that feeling of you beside me and hopelessly wanting it to be real. But it's not. It will never be again. And the reality of it is more crippling than reliving that day in my nightmares._

 _The moment I learned of your death I felt the wind. Almost as if I'd never felt the wind before. It was cold and it blew right through me, taking part of me with it and casting it out to the crows._

 _I'll never be able to get that part of me back but eventually, I have to try to learn to go on without you. It seems like an impossible notion. Like trying to breathe underwater._

 _I suppose I'll have to learn to do so how I've learned most things, through pain._

 _One of the worst realizations is that I'll never be able to talk to you again. Never heed your advice when I need it or lay out my burdens for you to share. I guess this letter is my cruel way of trying to cling to that aching desire._

 _You told me to watch after her if you were gone, and I failed._

 _You told me to put her first, even above you, and I failed._

 _Unknowingly, I have put you before her. My pain over losing you before her. Thoughts of you have completely consumed me and I'm afraid I lost my way. I have to make this right. I will make this right._

 _From now on, I will uphold my promise to you. I won't let my longing for you get in the way of my responsibility to her. I will keep her safe._

 _Maybe one day I will be able to realize a life without you in it. I'm not sure how. Until then, I will live every day waiting for the moment I see you again._

 _Forever Yours,_

 _Dimitri_

* * *

 **A/N:** We have arrived in Part 2 and have finally come to the close of the tale that inspired this story: The Death of Love. This part of HW will have our favorite duo acting much more OC. Rose's sassy side will be in full force without her strong sense of duty and responsibility to be on good behavior holding her back, and Dimitri's familiar moody, secluded side will come out a lot more now that he's suffered a great loss. So those of you who were enjoying Dickitri, we'll be saying goodbye to him...for now ;).

Rose has an interesting journey ahead for her and I'm excited for you all to see what I have in store. Also, you can thank my lovely HW godmother for that heartbreaking song suggestion during Dimitri's letter. The hopeful lyrics placed in this depressing situation make me want to curl up in a ball and rock back and forth until Dimitri is reunited with his love. Thanks to everyone out there reading and for your wonderful support! You guys are the best 💙

P.S. Idk if any of you noticed but I changed the cover art. I'm thinking about adding some new ones every once in a while to mix things up. Probably not every chapter, but on some key moments, new scenes, or pov changes. So be on the lookout for those!


	28. Chapter 28

**Part 2 Chapter 28**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Should Have Known Better by Sufjan Stevens, The Ghost Inside by Broken Bells, Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap**

It had been two full weeks and I was nowhere near being closer to escaping my luxurious prison. It was probably a little harsh calling it a prison since it was far more lavish than any palace I could remember—little less a jail cell—but my stuck up captors were refusing to let me leave. They insisted it was for the best right now and that when the time came they would personally escort me home, but how could I trust a group of people I had never met and knew absolutely nothing about?

Shortly after my little run-in with Adrian, who was apparently only one of _many_ Ivashkovs living in this gold crested palace, I was visited by another resident—Lady Daniella Ivashkov. Turns out she was Adrian's mother and had been tasked with keeping an eye on me. I thought at first he had gone to fetch his mum like a whiny little brat, but when I told her I had just met him and she caught one glimpse at my appearance, she went into a full tizzy. Granted, I had been a little thrown off by being in front of a man in nothing but my undergarments, but this woman's reaction was so over the top I thought she might faint from the lack of air getting to her lungs between rants.

Unfortunately, most of my time in the palace was spent with Daniella, as she preferred to be called. Don't get me wrong, she was helpful in navigating the grounds and extremely polite, but she was also incredibly dull and seemed to care more about manners and status rather than actually helping me get back to normal. It was like she was using the opportunity of my clean slate to start anew and mold me into an elegant Lady who was put on airs, which something told me I really wasn't great at doing before.

Occasionally, we would meet with the palace chirurgeon who had tended to me when I first arrived to check on my healing wounds and oftentimes Daniella's seneschal, Sir Robert Doru, would join to check on my mental recovery. He was a Moroi gifted in Spirit magic and I had been told he was there the day I was found—which apparently was face down in the snow covered in battle wounds and a river of my own blood. I had no idea how I had gotten there or why but Sir Robert seemed to think the events that took place beforehand may have been the cause of my lost memories. He and Daniela believed that I had suffered some kind of horrific experience and my mind was trying to protect itself by blocking out anything related to it. Honestly, it sounded like a bunch of bullshit to me but I had nothing else to go on.

I participated in a few exercises with him where he would ask me more specific questions about my life to try and help bring my memories back. It worked well for simple details: My name was Rose Hathaway. I hailed from St. Vladimir's Valley. I had a sister named Princess Vasilisa Dragomir. I could remember several instances from our earlier days growing up and the closeness my sister and I shared as children, but some memories seemed fuzzy and others were just flat out gone. It was like small portions of my mind had decided to flee, only leaving half of me behind. And anything related to the past two years was completely nonexistent. Sometimes, when I thought I was getting closer to something important a sharp pain would radiate across my skull and I'd be forced to stop. It seemed like good enough evidence to prove Sir Robert and Daniela's case, but I refused to believe that my body was weak enough to hide something from me out of fear.

I didn't just rely on the two of them for information though. I found myself constantly seeking answers from anyone I crossed paths with. The majority of people here were hesitant to talk to me; apparently, Dhampir weren't that common at court in the Western Isles, but I had my methods. I subtly picked up a few confirmations from some of the other resident staff members; like how my sister still ruled St. Vlad's alongside my uncle Lord Victor Dashkov until she became of age to marry, which apparently she was now. And that the fortress had been under attack by a nearby kingdom. Daniela was particularly close-lipped when it came to talk of violence and war, so I had to rely on the gossip around the palace to source me information.

When the chatter about my home kingdom started to slow down though, I was forced to seek other options. One morning, when Danila burst into my room at an ungodly hour, I finally saw my opportunity to get the information I needed.

"Rise and shine Princess, the day shalt not be wasted when there is so much splendor to enjoy," Daniela's annoyingly chipper voice rang.

I let out a loud groan in protest and pulled the fluffy covers up over my head, praying she'd go away. I heard the Moroi woman tsk from the other end of the room as she made her way over to the ridiculously huge armoire. "Come come, dear. Today is a special day and requires a special ensemble. We must get you ready."

"How special can any one day be," I sarcastically drolled from under the blankets.

I could hear the rustling of fabric and could only assume Daniela was an arm's length and face deep in the array of dresses she had gathered for me over the past couple of weeks. I hated most of them. They were gaudy and uncomfortable, but I put up with them out of desperation to leave the room.

"As our honored guest, you have been invited to join the family and other nobles at the Queen's Hearing." Her voice was slightly muffled from echoing off the back of the wooden wardrobe, but her words finally caused the reaction she had been hoping for and I sprung from the bed.

"You mean Queen Tatiana has agreed to see me," I asked excitedly. Tatiana was the ruler of the Western Isles and one of the few Ivashkovs I had yet to meet—and admittedly, the most important. If there was anyone who had information about my home and the means to get me back there, it was her. I had been dying to get an audience with their exalted ruler, but Daniela always insisted that she was "far too busy".

The tall, thin woman pulled herself out of the armoire with her dress of choice clutched in one hand and smoothed out her dark hair with the other—even though there technically wasn't a single piece out of order. "I wouldn't go as far to say that," she attempted to settle me, "but you are granted admission to listen in on the hearing."

I repressed another groan at that. Being forced to sit still in a stuffy room as a bunch of old farts drolled on about the nonexistent issues in their perfect kingdom sounded worse than torture, but I decided to count myself lucky that I could at least possibly get a chance for an introduction.

When I finally looked at the dress in Daniela's arms my eyes practically rolled out of my head. It was absolutely ridiculous. She stood there smiling satisfactorily as if she'd just found the Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar.

"You can't possibly expect me to wear that," I crossed my arms over my chest with a disgusted look pointed in that abomination's direction. The skirt was fluffier than my duvet covers with poofy sleeves to match, and if the frilly lace lining the entire thing wasn't enough, the goddamn dress was yellow...YELLOW!

Daniella's excited expression fell and she let out a small sigh. It was the most emotion she ever put into her disappointment for fear of being unladylike, although I tended to push those limits on many occasions. "Rose, dear, it's a lovely dress and the color will go so well with your complexion."

I stared at her defiantly, letting her know there was no way I was putting that thing on without having to say another word.

Her lips formed into a tight line and she brought the dress down to her side. "Fine. Then what would you propose you wear? And don't you dare even think about one of those flimsy wool dresses that I brought in purely for gardening. Those are not appropriate for today's events!"

Admittedly, those were the only dresses I actually liked to wear, but she was right. If I was going to meet the queen today, I'd need to make a good impression—despite my discomfort. I walked over to the wardrobe and flipped through a couple of the more extravagant looking gowns. They were all just as bad as the next, but there was one that was slightly less absurd than the others and I pulled it out for Daniella's approval. Her light green eyes skimmed over the dark purple and black fabric of the dress and she pinched the corners of it to examine it further. The skirt was still a little fuller than I'd like and there were hints of black lace embroidering the middle, but it was far less showy than the yellow nightmare. I could tell she wasn't nearly as pleased with it as the other she had decided on, but after a few more moments of looking it over, she agreed to a compromise.

She gave me a quick nod and motioned for me to turn around so she could help me out of my nightgown and into the bodice. The process of putting on the dress and getting ready took over an hour and as she worked through the intricacies of the corset and called in a maid to help with my hair, she rambled on and on about things I should and shouldn't do in the presence of the nobles. Her favorite pastime.

When I was finally deemed presentable enough for her liking she dismissed the maid and excused herself to change, assuring me she would send someone to escort me. The thought of someone having to tote me around was beyond irritating, but the enormity of the palace had made it impossible to learn all the ins and outs of it yet and it was likely that I'd get lost before finding the Queen's Hall. Once I was left alone, I scurried over to my bedside table and pulled out a small dagger from the bottom drawer. I pulled up the endless layers of fabric at the bottom of the dress and slipped the dagger into a hidden spot against my outer thigh.

After my second day here, I bribed one of the kitchen boys with a gold broach and asked him to bring me an extra knife with my next meal. He hid it under a napkin so it would go unnoticed when the servants came back in to clear my tray. Ever since then, I had always kept it on me when I left my room.

It seemed like a strange thing for a Princess to do, but a cool blade against my skin almost felt natural. Not to mention I was constantly surrounded by strangers and never felt truly safe.

A quick rap on the door sounded just as I let the ends of my dress fall and I called out to the person on the other side to come in. I probably should have gone and answered it myself, it would have been the more ladylike thing to do, but as long as Daniella wasn't here as a witness I wouldn't receive admonishment for it.

I flattened out the bodice of my dress, making sure there were no creases or kinks to indicate I was hiding something underneath and turned just before my door creaked open. When I saw who was on the other side I cursed myself for not taking Daniela's stupid advice. At least that way I could have slammed it back into his face before he stepped in. It was Adrian Ivashkov, dressed and waiting.

He had a hand wrapped across his eyes as the other continued pushing the door fully open.

"Excuse me, your Highness, are you decent? Wouldn't want to accidentally catch you in your undergarments...again," he smirked.

About a thousand insults seethed on the tip of my tongue, but I did my best to remain composed. "Yes, Lord Ivashkov, that would be embarrassing, given that the ones I have on now your mother loaned me."

It was a lie, there was no way I could fit into something made for Daniela's perfect, slim figure, but the scrunched look that formed on Adrian's nose and mouth was well worth the tiny fib. He dropped his hand and took a step into my room. Before he could take another and completely invade my private space I blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

"I am to escort you to the Queen's Hall. Didn't my lovely mother tell you?"

 _Great_. I was expecting one of the staff members or Guardians to help me find my way, not her pompous son. I hadn't seen Adrian since our first run-in at the palace and I was glad for it. I would say that I had been avoiding him, but honestly, he wasn't around enough for me to even do so. He never showed up for a meal with his parents and I had yet to see him roaming the halls during the more populated hours. I was starting to think I had seen a ghost that night if it weren't for Daniela's constant mention of him. As aggravating as it was, she truly did adore her son. It in some ways humanized her I supposed.

Adrian turned to the side and reached an arm out towards me in offering and my fingers instinctively ghosted over the dagger at my thigh. I let out a small breath to cool my nerves so I didn't stab a member of the Ivashkov family and strode over to meet his side. "Let's get this over with."

"Couldn't agree with you more," he replied as my arm slipped into his.

Admittedly, that surprised me a little. I would've thought he'd have been just as excited as his mother to attend a formal family event, but the longer we walked down the marble floors the tenser he became. I tried to concentrate on the route we took in case I ever needed to find my way back here, but after a while of rounding a maze of corners and not running into another single person, I turned to him accusingly. "Do you know where you're going?!"

"Of course I do," he chuckled. "This is my home after all."

"Well, where are all the people then. I thought this was an event for all the nobles in your kingdom."

"It is," he turned down a dimly lit corridor and began peering at the illuminated sconces hanging on the gold lined walls as if he was counting them. "But I prefer to spend as little time as possible around them and am taking the scenic route."

"Scenic route," I questioned, looking around at the strange, empty hallway we had found ourselves in. If it wasn't so opulent—with the overabundance of gold plated fixtures seemingly covering every inch—I'd say it looked like something out of a haunted story; granted, I was in the presence of a magical creature whose main life source was blood. "You're not going to try and murder me down here are you?"

Adrian rose a brow and looked down at me out of the corner of his eye, suddenly making his dominant height extremely apparent.

"Maybe," he said in a somewhat menacing tone, "but you'll just have to wait and find out." Then he dropped his head back and let out an exaggerated maniacal laugh that echoed down the empty hall.

I knew he was joking, but as the light from one of the flickering candles briefly illuminated his fangs my free hand reactively clenched into a fist at my side.

"Come now, Little Dhampir," he gestured up ahead. "Just a few more steps."

When we reached a gap between two of the gold sconces, Adrian came to a stop. I was about to tell him I'd had enough of his games and demand he take me to the Queen's Hall when he dropped my arm and strode toward the wall, placing two hands against it. _Perfect_. _Either my escort is insane, or drunk_.

I considered leaving him and trying to find my own way out when suddenly, I heard a small crack as he pressed into the wall and voices began filling the otherwise silent corridor. Adrian moved his face closer to a growing gap where more light was flooding in and looked through to the other side for a moment before moving back and grabbing my hand. I didn't have time to react as he simultaneously jerked me forward and pushed us both through the opening but managed to right my stumbling steps just in time to turn around and see him seal it back shut. It was a door. A _secret_ door.

"What—how—"

"Pretty cool, huh," Adrian answered my stuttering queries.

As much as Adrian annoyed me, there was no denying the impressiveness of that entrance. I gave him a small nod as he walked back up to my side and joined my arm with his once again.

"Now for the dull part of the evening."

The corner of my mouth tugged into a subtle smile at his apparent irritance, but when I turned around to take in our surroundings my jaw fell open, heavy with the weight astonishment. Any expectations I had about this so-called hearing were completely blown away. Rather than a small, dark room as one would assume, we were standing in a great hall fit for a royal ball. Everyone there was dressed in the finest silks and satins as they gathered in small groups to make polite conversation. There were candles strategically placed on tables and throughout a massive chandelier causing the signature gold trimmings on the walls to glow brighter than I'd yet seen. There was a sweet aroma in the air that caused my mouth to water and my cheeks to heat. I was so caught up in the spectacle before me that I hadn't even noticed Adrian had started walking until my arm began slipping out of his and I had to scurry to catch up.

As we began making our way through the crowd I couldn't help but notice all the pointed stares turning in our direction. At first, I thought maybe it was unusual for an unknown guest to be invited to one of these events—or maybe it was the fact that I was a Dhampir rather than a prestigious royal Moroi—but after a while, it became clear they weren't looking at me. They were looking at Adrian.

A few appeared to try making their way over to him but before anyone got too close to starting up a conversation, Adrian quickly dodged and pulled me in the opposite direction, pretending to be distracted by something else. After weaving and wobbling through countless people, he eventually maneuvered us towards one of the tables lined with refreshments, particularly wine. He dropped my arm and immediately poured himself a hefty cup.

"Want some," he tilted his glass towards me after taking three huge gulps.

I shook my head. "No thanks."

I peered over the rest of the contents of the table and couldn't help my eyes from growing wide at the beautiful sight before me. There were masses and masses of all sorts of delicacies and savory food. With all the commotion this morning I hadn't had a chance to eat yet and I was starved. I snatched a couple of biscuits and shoved them into my mouth letting out a delighted groan as the fluffy, buttery bread melted in my mouth. I quickly finished those down, along with a link of sausage and three slices of cheese, as Adrian polished off his glass of wine and filled another.

"Rosemarie!"

I paused with my palm mere inches from my open mouth holding a handful of plump grapes as Daniela's quiet, yet admonishing voice reached my side.

"Contain your appetite, dear. We are in public," she irritably sang. My terrible table manners were often a hot button for Daniela, but I didn't see the point of taking tiny bites for show when my stomach demanded the entire spread.

My face scrunched into a disappointed scowl as I let the grapes roll out of my hand onto the table. I held in a frustrated huff and relaxed my expression before turning to face her.

She looked perfect, as always. A satisfied grin inched up her ivory cheeks and I bit the inside of my lip to keep my rising temper in check. The last thing I needed was for her to ask me to leave before I got the chance to meet the Queen.

"Adrian, darling, I'm glad to see you successfully managed to escort our guest, although I wish you could have been on time." Even though I could tell she was clearly disappointed, her tone with Adrian remained much more gentle than when she chastised me.

With her focus now fully fixed on him, I used the opportunity to sneak a couple of blackberries into my mouth.

"My sincerest apologies Mother, the lady and I got a little caught up taking in the sights of the castle," Adrian exaggeratedly explained as I grabbed a pastry stuffed with some kind of red jelly.

"Your father and I were hoping to—"

"Ah, yes," Adrian interrupted. "I think I see my dear cousin Remus over there who has been dying for an introduction with our lovely guest. You don't mind, do you Rose?"

Before I could answer him either way, Adrian latched on to my wrist and pulled me away from the table. I let out a disheartened sigh as I glanced back at all the food we were leaving behind and stumbled to catch up with Adrian's quick pace.

After a few more steps I finally had enough of his jostling me around and yanked my wrist from Adrian's hold. "Hey, what gives?!"

He turned around to face me with a determined look on his brow that I hadn't seen before. It slightly unnerved me seeing him appear even the slightest bit serious, but it quickly faded into something more apologetic.

"Sorry. I could tell where that conversation was leading and needed a quick escape."

I looked over my shoulder to where we had been standing and could no longer see Daniela positioned there. "So we aren't going to meet your uncle Rufus?"

Adrian let out a small chuckle. "Cousin Remus," he corrected. "And only if you want to be sucked into a boorish story about the time he managed to broker a deal between the Frankish and Suebians for one of his family's prized chandeliers."

"The who and the who?" I adjusted the skirt of my dress and pulled at the heavy fabric.

Adrian shook his head and gave me a small smile. "It doesn't matter."

I wasn't sure if those were people I should have known and my memory was failing me once again, but for once I didn't become overwhelmingly frustrated over it. As Adrian stood there smiling at me, his genuine amusement made him look almost years younger. His green eyes were illuminated by the mass of candles and gold reflections of the room and for some unknown reason, they brought me a hint of comfort. Even with the throng of strangers surrounding me and the unfamiliarity of the enormous hall, standing beside Adrian, I started to feel somewhat at ease.

"Well Rose it appears I have been a completely unacceptable escort," he smoothed out the lapels of his jacket before presenting me with his arm. "I think it's time I remedy that."

Just before I took his arm, I stopped myself, suddenly realizing that I was putting far too much trust in this man who was still a stranger. Just because he didn't give me the total creeps like most of the people I had met, it didn't mean I should stop second-guessing his motives. This was a man who had compelled me within the first few minutes of meeting me after all. I glanced around, looking for an excuse to get away, but knew I wouldn't have much luck navigating the event alone. I returned my focus back to Adrian and grazed over him speculatively, searching for any sign of deceit. When his polite smile didn't falter I decided my best course of action was to play into his little game. If I played nice, I'd probably get to the bottom of his intentions quicker.

"Oh really," I rolled my shoulders and attempted to playfully raise an eyebrow at him. "And what is it you have in mind?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Anyone else get Phantom of the Opera vibes during Adrian and Rose's walk through the secret corridor? XD

Thanks for reading!


	29. Chapter 29

**Part 2 Chapter 29**

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: Un4gvn by Ruby Beardman ft. Two Beards**

The council room reeked of anxiety. I could feel it pouring out of all the attendees seated around the circular table. It wasn't the usual crowd that used to attend when Victor ran them, but they had become somewhat familiar to me. Unfortunately, these meetings had also become about as useful as tits on a bull.

"Any news from Inferion," I turned to ask Tasha.

"No. I'm afraid not," she solemnly shook her head. "We sent another raven this morning but one of the scouts saw it shot down before it even made it past the pines."

"Damnit," I huffed under my breath. We had been trying to get word out to our allies for weeks but to no avail. The humans had yet to wage a serious attack again, other than a few attempted spurts to test our weaknesses, but many of them had set up stations around our perimeters and were blocking the way in or out. We tried sending messages in the dead of night as well, but the humans were diligent and always seemed to be on guard.

"What's the status of our supplies," I asked Guardian Alto. A few days prior I'd charged him with performing a detailed inventory of our food and water, a task he was less than pleased with. He claimed it was below his station and questioned my position to get a rise out of me, but honestly, I could care less what the imbecile thought and quickly shut down his protests.

"We had a healthy harvest this year and all the coups and wells are intact. We have 400 barrels of grains, 200 cases of potatoes, and about 3 dozen of each livestock." Alto read off a list in his hands.

"About or exactly? I need precise numbers Alto," I sternly pressed.

"3 dozen goats, 2 dozen cows, and 4 dozen pigs, Sir," he replied, red-faced with an angry sheen of sweat on his brow.

I ran the numbers through my head silently for a moment as I looked back down to the round table. "That should be enough to last us the winter even with the extra villagers we've taken in since the attack."

"You think they will try to wait us out all winter?" Ashford sounded surprised.

I kept my focus down and slid some pieces of parchment around. "I don't know."

Some of the attendees shuffled uncomfortably in their seats but refrained from any side comments. "Either way, we can't stay isolated that long. We need to find a way to get messages out."

I waited for someone to speak up, to hopefully share some brilliant idea we had yet to think of, but they all remained silent. I let out a low breath and finally fell back into my seat, my head pounding from lack of sleep. "We'll try again in the morning, a raven in each direction at sporadic times. If we're unsuccessful again, we'll have to try something more drastic."

"Drastic," Tasha quietly asked. "Like what?"

I didn't bother looking over to her, knowing a worried expression was most likely waiting for me. "We'll need to send a group of men out. See if they can get through one of the barriers and personally deliver a message."

It was an unpopular choice and most likely a suicide mission, but I was running out of options. We needed to preserve the men we had in case of another attack, but if the Sage King decided to come at us with his full forces and by some chance got past our walls, we'd need backup or we wouldn't survive.

Some of the group finally decided to speak up, but I wasn't in the mood to hear them argue. I held up my hand and motioned to the door, "That's all for today."

After a few moments, they scurried out one by one, finally leaving me alone with my thoughts. Or so I hoped.

The heavy door closed with a thud, but rather than being met with silence, footsteps inched their way back into the room. I looked up to see Tasha standing at the other end of the table, looking down at me with an unreadable expression. She wordlessly gazed at me for a moment, her crystal blue eyes penetrating me and making me feel slightly agitated.

"Dimka," she sighed at last, "when's the last time you slept?"

It was the same question Vasilisa had been asking me for days.

"I'm fine," I curtly replied as I gathered the loose papers together into a neat pile.

Tasha rounded the table and slowly approached my side. "No, you're not," she softly said as she placed a hand on my shoulder. Her thin hand was cold, but the gesture was warm. "You need to take a break."

I picked up the parchments and turned to face her. "I can't take a break. In case you haven't noticed we—"

Tasha's arm dropped and her voice hardened. "I wasn't asking, Dimitri."

Technically, Tasha was a Lady, a Royal Moroi with the authority to command others, but she was still a visitor in St. Vladimir's and I was now the head of the Dragomir forces. However, I really didn't feel like picking a fight and arguing over who had more power over who and decided to just give in. Besides, I was utterly exhausted and there was no way my overworked brain was going to be of any use the rest of the day anyway. So I nodded and placed the parchments back down on the table, telling myself I'd come back to look at them later.

She tilted her head towards the door in a gesture that told me to follow her and I silently obeyed. We walked down to one of the smaller dining halls and she engaged in a hushed conversation with one of the staff members as I took a seat at the dark oak table. I began drumming my fingers along the smooth surface but my mother's voice echoed in my head, telling me that showing signs of boredom or annoyance in front of company was rude. I moved my hand on top of my knee to keep myself from fidgeting and remained quiet until Tasha came to join me.

We sat there quietly for a few moments. I could tell there were some questions itching to get out of her, but Tasha was good about not pressuring me to talk when I didn't want to. It wasn't something she had always been skilled at. When we first met she was constantly trying to pull information out of me, drilling me with questions until I became annoyed with her, but she quickly learned to bide her time instead. Eventually, the servants entered the room carrying two steaming bowls of stew and a loaf of fresh bread and butter. My stomach grumbled as soon as the aromas from the food surrounded me and I realized I couldn't recall the last time I'd eaten. I thanked the young servant girl as she handed me a wooden spoon and she flashed me a shy smile before scurrying away. I took a few glutinous gulps of soup, resisting the urge to moan as the warm liquid slid down my throat and straight into my empty belly. We ate in silence, the only sounds coming from the occasional scrape of spoons against bowls until Tasha finally got up the nerve to strike a conversation.

"So, tell me. What's troubling you," she asked with a heavy dose of concern. There were about a thousand things troubling me throughout each day, but I knew that wasn't what she was asking. I took another sip of stew and tore off a piece of warm bread before answering her.

"I feel like I'm failing," I had to stop myself short before saying _I feel like I'm failing her_. The warm soup in my stomach slowly began churning into a familiar empty pit. "There are so many things wrong and just when I find the solution to one, three more problems fall into my lap."

"Well, maybe if you'd let someone help you, Dimitri, you wouldn't be so overwhelmed," I could sense the tiniest bit of irritance in her voice. She had been asking me for weeks to delegate some of the more time-consuming assignments to her and the other Guardians to try and relieve some of the load, but I was so buried in everything going on I couldn't see a clear path for them to jump into.

"It's not your responsibility, Tasha," I rubbed the top of my forehead, abandoning the piece of bread.

"And since when did that matter?" She stubbornly slid the remaining loaf towards me, motioning for me to eat.

I was starting to get annoyed with her pushiness but I had to admit, with each bite of food I was beginning to feel less testy and anxious than before. I dipped a piece of bread in the creamy butter and stuffed it into my mouth. Seizing the opportunity of me with a full trap, Tasha spoke up again.

"You need help, Dimka, whether you'll admit it or not, and I'm tired of seeing you suffer. We all are." I knew by _we_ she meant Christian and Vasilisa as well. Although their methods were less forward, they had still managed to make their concerns heard. I opened my mouth to speak but the fired up Moroi cut me off. "Don't tell me for the hundredth time that you're _fine_. You're not. And that's okay. You don't have to tell me everything, but you don't need to pretend with me either. Maybe we can just meet halfway and you can let me find a way to help you. Even if it's something small."

I looked into her hopeful gaze and bit back the automatic responses I had been forcing out the past couple of weeks. Since finally coming to terms with the fact that Rose was gone, I shut out everything that didn't pertain to helping Vasilisa and the kingdom. It hurt too much to allow my thoughts to drift near any semblance of what used to be. I wouldn't go as far to say I had turned into a heartless prick, but unfeeling was relatively close. I thought it was better to remain as emotionless as possible in order to focus on the tasks at hand, and to maintain a clear head that especially meant keeping anything and everything that had to do with Rose out. As long as I stayed focused on what needed to be done and nothing else, I could make it through the day one hour at a time.

But as her crystal eyes settled on me, tiny bits of emotion crept their way in when I finally allowed myself to see Tasha for what she truly was in that moment. Not a royal commander, or an overbearing council member, or even a Lady of Inferion, but a friend. A friend that was desperately trying to get through to me. And as her words sunk in, I realized she was right. Despite pretending to be, I wasn't fine—and I wasn't sure if I ever would be—but so far secluding myself had only been making matters worse. I wouldn't be able to confide in her like she wanted, but if I was to turn things around for the kingdom, it was time I sought help. And Tasha was willing and ready for me to ask for it. I didn't want to send men out on a mission where their chances of coming back were slim, and maybe if Tasha and I could come up with a better plan, it would be worth letting down my barricade for a short while.

A small nod was my only response, but she knew I wouldn't offer up a hollow agreement and didn't press me for something more concrete. Not a moment later the doors to the hall swung open and familiar voices flooded the room.

"All I'm saying is the fewer people we invite, the less chance of anything going awry," Christian said as he held the door open for the Princess.

She waltzed in with her hands clutched around the fabric of her dress, lifting it up to step down the few steps of the main entrance. "I understand, but we need to keep the people's spirits high and right now their support is of the utmost importance."

They both walked over to the table and sat beside Tasha as Christian reached for a piece of bread.

"Besides," Vasilisa continued. "We both know the real reason you don't want to invite anyone to the coronation is so you don't have to dress in formal attire."

Christian swallowed down his food and turned to his betrothed with a slanted grin on his face. "That's not true. I'd be happy to wear it for _you_ , just not the entire kingdom."

Tasha laughed at her nephew and pushed her bowl of stew over to him. Discussion around Vasilisa's coronation had been a popular topic over the past few days. We agreed that with Victor's unchanging condition and the state of the kingdom, it would be best to officially declare Vasilisa as Queen of St. Vladimir's Valley; especially now that she had accepted Christian's proposal of marriage. The three of them began discussing particulars for the ceremony and I listened intently, only supplying a response when questions around security were brought up.

I watched as the three of them smiled and indulged in their light conversation. It was nice to see Vasilisa finally somewhat at ease. My mind drifted towards how happy that would make Rose, but I quickly suppressed the thought and began mentally calculating all the possible entrances and exits of the Royal Hall. I became so engrossed and focused on my task that it took me a moment to realize their laughing had completely died. I looked over to see Vasilisa's face pale and a worried look fixed on the door.

I whipped around and rose to stand, my hand ghosting over a stake at my side, but was confused to find just a lone woman standing in the doorway. Her short red curly hair was tousled and her clothes were covered in a thin layer of snow. She must have just come in from outside, but she wasn't anyone I recognized from St. Vladimir's. I looked more closely at her to see a green sigil indicating that she represented the Szelsky family hailing in Galloway, a nearby kingdom and one of the allies we had been desperately trying to get word to.

Realization struck that she was an outsider—here, inside the castle walls—but before I could question her Vasilisa quietly rasped out, "Guardian Hathaway."

As much as I wanted to remain completely passive, I couldn't help my eyes from widening at the Princess's soft recognition. Rose had never described her mother to me, she rarely spoke of her at all really, but as I stared dumbfounded at the woman before me, their similarities suddenly became painfully clear. The confident way she stood—despite her shorter stature—, the power behind even the simplest movements as she bowed, the determined yet fierce look behind her eyes.

"Princess Dragomir," her thick Scottish accent sang as Vasilisa began making her way beside me. "It's good to see you well. I heard about the human invasion. It's a blessing to find you unscathed."

"Yes," Vasilisa shakily spoke. I couldn't tell why, but she seemed extremely uneasy around this woman. Maybe it was the fact that she was a ruthless Guardian meant to induce fear, or maybe it was seeing her dead sister's mother threatening to bring about unwelcome memories. "Our forces were successful in the initial attack. High Constable Belikov here has been diligent in his work to maintain our safety in preparation of another attempted invasion."

The red-haired woman glanced over to me as she quietly questioned, "High Constable?"

Her eyes narrowed as she slowly looked me over, but quickly realizing she wasn't sticking to protocol she gave me a curt bow of acknowledgment. "An honor to meet you Guardian Belikov. I'm Janine Hathaway."

I returned her greeting with a quick nod but didn't waste another second on anything else that could distract us. "I mean no offense, Guardian Hathaway, but how did you get in here? We've been trying to send out ravens for weeks but the grounds are surrounded by human forces. We haven't been able to find a gap in their ranks to even sneak scouts through."

Vasilisa stood a little taller as I spoke and waited for the Guardian's answer. Janine took a couple steps into the room and shrugged off her cloak and some of the snow along with it. "There are secret tunnels below the castle leading out beyond the walls."

I glanced over to Vasilisa, hoping a sense of familiarity would spark but she just stood there wordlessly, a slightly puzzled look forming on her brow.

"They were constructed decades before your father's rule and once he took over the throne, Eri—" Guardian Hathaway paused before correcting herself, " _King_ Eric ordered them to be sealed."

"Why," Tasha questioned from behind us. I had almost forgotten that she was there.

Janine's gaze flicked over to her for a brief moment as she responded, "They were too intricate and impossible to maintain, My Lady." Then without a breath, she immediately turned her attention back to Vasilisa and me. "He feared that they could one day be used against us if the wards along the outer borders of the walls failed."

"If my father had them sealed," Vasilisa cut in, "then how did you make it through."

A sly grin ghosted over her face and my throat tightened at the familiarity of it. "I have my methods."

I swallowed down any feelings that were threatening to rise and focused on the information she was giving us. "And you're sure no one saw you?"

Janine threw her cloak down onto the table and began removing her gloves. "Other than the small group of men I brought with me, no one saw us get through. And don't worry, I completely trust them or wouldn't have bothered enlisting them in my service."

This was fantastic news. We now had a way in and out of the castle and could start getting word out to neighboring allies. A million thoughts and plans began running through my head: how many scouts we could send out at once, who we needed to contact first, strategies to be put in place, but they were all quickly replaced by one thing as Janine spoke up once again—dread.

"Now, if you don't mind Your Highness, I would like to speak to my daughter."

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Young And On Fire by BEGINNERS Night Panda, Flower by Moby**

 _It will be fun_ he said. _Just one drink_ he said.

After one drink quickly turned into two, I began to wonder why I listened to anything that came out of Adrian Ivashkov's mouth. But by the fourth, I wasn't thinking about anything other than how funny his ridiculous impressions were.

"And all the while the trumpeters exquisitely serenaded us as we made our entrance into the great hall." I snorted at Adrian's haughty accent and scrunched facial expression as he imitated his dull uncle I'd been forced to meet.

My eyes began to prick when wine threatened to shoot out of my nose. I quickly wrapped my hand around my mouth to keep the plum colored liquid from spewing out and giggled into my palm. Adrian let out a pleased laugh and carefully reached for the cup in my other hand. After relieving me of it and setting the gold tankard on the table he took a small bow and beamed at me.

Although his antics were exaggerated and oftentimes absurd, the wine in my belly was quickly warming my cheeks and lightening my spirits. I gave him mock applause, letting my laughter finally die down.

"You're pretty good at that Ivashkov," I returned his smile.

"Why thank you, your Highness. I only live to serve."

I rolled my eyes at him and reached back for my abandoned cup. Adrian stepped in front of me before I could grasp it and began to guide me away from the table.

"I think that's enough for now, Little Dhampir," he lightly said.

I looked up to him, holding in a hiccup that threatened to invade my throat. "Hey! That's not fair. You've had at least twice as many as me and your cup is still full."

I reached across him towards the cup in his hand but he deftly moved it out of reach before I could get my fingers on it.

"True," he glanced over at me out of the corner of his eye, "but I am far more experienced in the art of wine consumption and it appears _you_ are a bit of a lightweight." He accentuated his point by poking the tip of my nose with his finger.

"I'm— _hiccup_ —not a lightweight," I stammered, swatting away his hand.

"Oh really," Adrian let out a low chuckle causing my brow to scrunch at him. I stopped walking and continued to stare him down. Noticing I was no longer beside him he stopped his casual pace and turned to face me. When he noticed the face I was making his amused expression began to fade.

"So it's pouting you've resorted to? You really think that's going to work with me, Little Dhampir?"

I stood my ground, refusing to budge an inch—although the sudden stop in movement was making me feel slightly wobbly in place. Adrian looked at me speculatively, trying to meet my stare but eventually, he caved and let out a long sigh.

"Fine," he conceded. "We'll play for it."

"Play," I questioned, unsure if I'd heard him correctly.

"Yes. We'll play a game. If I win, I get to keep my cup. If you win, it's all yours," he smiled at me with that wicked smirk he sometimes adorned and I sensed a hint of trickery behind his offer.

"Why do I get the feeling that this game is going to play out in _your_ favor," I irritably muttered.

"Don't be so pessimistic, Rose. I haven't even explained the rules yet," Adrian insisted with conviction.

I rolled my entire head instead of just my eyes this time but agreed nonetheless. "Ugh okay. How do we play?"

"Let's see," Adrian rubbed his chin with his free hand as he inspected the crowd. "First we have to find a—"

Suddenly, the blaring sounds of horns filled the room and my hands shot up to my ears in surprise. I looked around nervously to see that everyone else seemed completely at ease, almost as if they were expecting it. _Was this hideous sound some form of entertainment?_

As one, the crowd began moving towards the front of the room and I looked up to Adrian in question. "What's happening?"

"Ah, our beloved Queen has finally decided to grace us with her presence," he craned his neck above the crowd as a warm smile played on his lips. The mention of any and every other family member in this place had granted no more than a sneer from Adrian, but as he guided us towards the grand stage where the Queen was perched that warm smile only grew. Then suddenly, my thoughts were pulled away from his affection towards their ruler and back to the fact that Tatiana was here. _She's actually here_.

Remembering my original goal in attending this soiree in the first place had me darting from our position as fast as I could, forcing my way between the Moroi to the front of the crowd. I heard Adrian quietly calling me from behind, but I was on a mission and didn't bother turning back. Once I reached the front I was finally able to get a good look at her. She was obviously regal, adorned with dark rubies and gold plated jewelry to compliment her full, beige dress, but there was something else about her that made her appear sort of...sanctimonious. She had an expression on her seasoned face that said "don't fuck with me" and seemed to look down at everyone over her nose rather than directly in their face. However, no one really seemed bothered by it. If anything, they practically welcomed her imperious attitude.

Rather than dawn on it for too long though, I reminded myself that I didn't have to like her, I just had to get information out of her. A brief ceremony commenced where the other Ivashkovs recited some words and I tried my best not to fidget impatiently as I shifted from foot to foot. As members of the family approached her one by one to unload their grievances, my nervous movements started causing my stomach to churn. The wine was no longer sitting well inside me and I was growing more anxious by the minute.

When the next guy stood up to ask Tatiana to approve him taking a few extra Guardians back to his castle so he could have them assist with moving furniture into his new, grand dining hall, I'd had enough.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty," I called loudly out to the stage. Heads whipped around towards my voice complete with wide green eyes that quickly narrowed when they fell upon my face. Tatiana, the person whose attention I wanted most, was the last to turn her crown of dark gray hair in my direction.

"I beg your pardon," I took a wobbly step forward before righting myself and straightening my back to appear more confident in my actions. "I was hoping to—"

"My pardon is not the one you should be asking for," her stiff voice stopped me short. "Prince Rufus was in the middle of an inquiry before you so brutally interrupted him."

I angled myself to face the rankled Moroi man beside her and dipped in a small curtsy. "I deeply apologize Prince Rufus," I dryly spat out before turning my attention back to the Queen. "But I have a matter of grave importance to breach and I fear it cannot wait another moment. It's in regard to—"

"What is your name, girl," the Queen's sharp words cut me off once again.

"Rose Hathaway," I was becoming irritated with the old bat and gave her a response before even thinking to use my full title. But it turned out to be pointless anyway.

"Ah, the Dhampir Princess from St. Vladimir's Valley." The Queen moved her intricate dark gray braid over her shoulder as an arrogant smile formed on her face. "It's a shame your royal sister could not join you. I would have been more than pleased to make her acquaintance."

I pushed down the urge to shout at her that I didn't arrive here by choice and decided to stick to a topic that seemed to interested her instead. "Actually, my inquiry involves my sister. You see, I've been away from her for quite some time now without the means to reach her. I need to get word to her and see if the kingdom is alright."

The Queen brought a jeweled hand up to her chin as she let out a contemplative hum. "Yes, I remember hearing something about humans attacking the castle. But fear not, Miss Hathaway, I'm sure the great walls of St. Vladimir's will hold out any threatening force. You of all people should know of their strength."

She began to turn her attention back towards the narrow-minded Prince but I wasn't letting her brush me off that easily.

"Your Majesty please," I rushed the stage causing some of the Guardians behind her to charge to her side with their hands wrapped around their weapons' sheaths. "I fear my sister could be in danger. I have to get word to her. You must know a way."

Tatiana stared at me, her green eyes filled with a tangible harshness that had me seeing another side of her that probably should have scared me, but instead only tempted me. After a long pause, she finally held up one of her hands, motioning for the Guardians to stand down and relaxed her stiff gaze. "As you well know, messages to St. Vladimir's kingdom have been consistently intercepted. There is no point in wasting more of our resources until they clean up this mess they've started with the humans."

"So that's it," I gritted through my teeth, letting my anger fuel the hint of hers I had just seen. "You're giving up even attempting to reach out to them without trying something else? You're the Queen of the Western Isles for crying out loud! You're really going to let a bunch of unorganized humans outsmart you?"

Tatiana finally rose from her perch as a simultaneous gasp swept the crowd. I'd probably just lost any chance I had at gaining the Queen's good favor, but hoped that my desperate attempt at goading her would get me what I wanted. However, it looked like I would be sorely disappointed as she began to speak.

"Do not forget your place, _girl_. I know that your father took it upon himself to anoint you a Princess of the Dragomir line, but as you have so clearly shown today you don't know the first thing about behaving like one. I had hoped Lady Daniela could provide you with the proper guidance but it appears I am too trusting."

A couple snickers echoed beside me at her steely words. Tatiana could say whatever she wanted about me and it would go unfazed, but realizing that I had unknowingly brought shame upon Daniela was a bit of a slap in the face. Sure, the woman annoyed me to no end and I wouldn't exactly say I was all that fond of her, but she'd been trying to take care of me in her own way. Rather than fire back at the old bitch, I held my tongue in hopes it would avoid any more backlash Daniela may receive.

Pleased by my placidness she continued. "You are guest here, so it is only custom to continue to provide you with food and shelter, but if you wish to remain here you will fall in line." My shoulders went stiff at the idea of her kicking me out without any means to get home or any help getting word to my family first.

"We are not obligated to go out of our way to serve your petulant demands. As you can see," she gestured to the room, "I have a kingdom of subjects to rule and my obligation is to them, not some foreign Dhampir Princess. However," that one word had my heart leaping in my chest. Even after all the subtle threats she had just made, the dramatic pause had me internally pleading that she was going to make an exception despite my poor behavior. "Although I cannot assist you with your needs, perhaps one of my loyal subjects would take the time out of their busy schedule and offer their resources to you. Do we have any volunteers?"

A catty smile crawled across her cheeks as she addressed the crowd. I turned around, my eyes desperately scanning the room for someone who would offer to help me, but the same snickers and chuckles as before were the only things filling the air. They were mocking me. Tatiana knew that none of these people would help me. Hell, they probably wouldn't agree to help _anyone_ unless it benefited them to do so, and after the display Tatiana had just made of me there was no way any of them saw me as a valuable asset. I whipped back around towards the stage as the Ivashkovs' laughter increased to see Tatiana staring at me with wicked delight. Flames of rage erupted inside me and I opened my mouth to curse the Queen's name, when a calm voice rose above the cackling crowd.

"I'll do it."

The laughter died along with Tatiana's amusement. The crowd parted near where the voice had come from, but I still couldn't see over the masses. Moroi began shuffling away from each other then back together as someone began moving towards the stage and I took some steadying breaths to try and tame my temper. Only when he was a few feet away did I finally see who had decided to come to my aid and I had to grind my teeth together to keep my jaw from falling to the ground.

"Aunt Tatiana," Adrian greeted once he'd reached the stage. "You are as kind as you are wise to grant our lovely guest with an opportunity so few others have the honor of receiving."

 _Honor? Kind? Was he out of his mind?_ Before I could even react to his degrading words, I felt his fingers lightly wrap around my forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze. I looked down towards it, but he released his contact before I could even manage a glance. I realized it was a sign, it was him telling me to trust him and keep my mouth shut. Even though it was the absolute last thing I wanted to do, I decided to give him a shot...at least until he did something to piss me off.

Tatiana's smile returned at his flattery so he continued. "Since it seems no one else has the decorum to indulge in your thoughtful bid, I will take it upon myself to honor your word and help the Dhampir Princess."

My eyes shot to him at the mention of my royal title. Tatiana had used it to mock me, but when Adrian spoke it he seemed to be regarding me with respect.

"Adrian, my dear," Tatiana spoke to him in a gentle voice, something I never would have expected to come out of her. She suddenly seemed more genuine than her interactions with the other family members and I briefly thought back to the admiring look he wore when she first entered the hall. It was a strange notion, but maybe the two of them had a deeper relationship than the others in the room. "As much as I appreciate your gallant sacrifice, do not think just because the two of you are—"

Adrian quickly cut her off, which I would have expected to aggravate her, but the Queen remained calm as he rushed on. "Aunt Tatiana don't trouble yourself. You have enough to worry about without your great nephew adding to the pile. Let me take this burden from you. It would be an honor."

An affectionate smile formed on her wrinkled face as she leaned down and lowered her voice to a volume that I was sure only he and I could hear. "I will always worry about you, Adrian." I couldn't understand how this woman who was publicly berating me in front of an entire room was now acting as an adoring grandmother would to her favorite kin. Before I could dawn on it for too long she quickly straightened up and addressed the room once again. "Nonetheless I will accept your offer."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Adrian said with a quick bow.

As soon as Tatiana turned her attention back to Prince Rufus, Adrian snatched my arm and pulled me away from the crowd. Once we were near, what I assumed was the front entrance to the hall, I expected him to give me an explanation of what was going on, but before either of us could get out a word I was met with another Ivashkov's dark, scornful glare. Lady Daniela.

* * *

 **A/N:** We finally have a full DPOV in Part 2 where he's not too wrapped up in his depression to reveal what's going on back in St. Vlad's. I know some of you have been wondering when Janine was going to enter the story, and here she is! Her part may have been cut a little short in this chapter, but it won't be the last time we hear from her. And speaking of overbearing, slightly bitchy broads...Tatiana makes her first appearance as well. I couldn't help but make her as arrogant as possible lol. Needless to say, her and Rose's first interaction didn't go so well. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Things will start moving a little faster once a couple more details are nailed down ;)

Thanks for reading!


	30. Chapter 30

**Part 2 Chapter 30**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: The Tourist by Sarah Jarosz, Outer Space by G, Genevieve**

A week.

I had been stuck in this godforsaken room for an entire fucking week.

Immediately following the Queen's Hearing, Daniela had sequestered me to my quarters. To say she was furious with my behavior was a massive understatement. I think she used the words "embarrassment" and "unsophisticated" a record amount of times. As badly as I had felt at first for bringing her shame, now all I felt for her was hatred.

I was going crazy staring at these same four walls with nothing to occupy my time except my worrying thoughts about my sister. At night, I would have dreams about her. Some of the dreams I recognized: memories of us playing as children, riding through the fields on hazy summer days, laughing over gossip as she played with my hair. Others were less familiar but felt just as real. Her ringing her fingers through her hair as she looked over maps and parchments, her hand pushing away a plate of warm food at supper, a kind voice easing her worries when she was upset. I could never really decipher what anyone was saying in those dreams, words and other sounds were muffled as if I was trying to hear underwater. But that wasn't the strangest thing about them. Where in the familiar dreams of the two of us I could clearly see Lissa standing beside me, but in the others, it was almost as if I _was_ her. Like I was seeing through her eyes.

I knew it was probably my own stress manifesting in my head at night as I slept, but whenever I had those dreams they stuck with me the next day, haunting my thoughts until I forcibly pushed them aside. One frequent visual that haunted me most, was a pair of soft brown eyes. I couldn't see the face they belonged to, but every once in a while they would appear in my unconscious mind and an obsessive feeling would completely take over me. It got to the point that I sometimes found myself picturing them when I was awake.

I began to think there was something about those eyes that my mind was forcibly trying to get me to remember, or maybe the solitude was making me go insane. Either way, I wasn't sure how much longer I could take it. I had well passed the point of desperation. I tried bribing the Guardians and handmaidens that would occasionally enter my room into letting me roam the castle grounds if only for a few hours, but I was brusquely turned down. I considered trying one of the windows a couple of times, but there was no way I'd make it to the ground without breaking at least a few limbs.

One night after spending several hours tossing and turning, my body finally caved to exhaustion and fell into a restless sleep. Strange images flashed through my mind. Endless caves with only flickers of light from torches revealing the cramped space we walked through. With each step that was taken deeper inside, I felt suffocated and anxious to get out. There were people, more like shapes, around me, but I didn't feel safe. I had come to the realization that I was dreaming, but for some reason, I couldn't get out. I wanted to wake up and go back into the light, away from this dark, dreary place but we kept walking further and further. I recited to myself, _wake up, wake up, wake up_ when suddenly, coils of light at the end of one of the tunnels began to spark.

The golden beams multiplied and seemed to spill out of every surface. The faceless people beside me vanished as rays landed on them and the scene before me began to morph into something entirely new. The light became so bright that I had to momentarily shield my eyes, but when it started to fade I slowly brought my arms down to my side and blinked a few times to align my vision.

Everything around me was crystal clear, unlike the majority of my recurring dreams. The first thing I noticed about my new dream was that it was warm. Tangibly so. Almost as if I was physically standing outside during a bright summer day. Next, I realized I was inside, despite all the lush greenery around me. Masses of green vines inched up the cracked archways and wrapped around towering pillars. The floor around me was covered with an array of plants from deep green moss to leafy perennials sprouting at least twice my height. Mixed in I could see spurts of vibrant flowers, some soft and familiar and some bursting with exotic colors that I didn't recognize. I could hear running water in the distance and assumed there were a few fountains or even creeks placed nearby. As I scanned over the top of the room, I could see the sun bursting in through the untarnished windows lining the roof. This place was exquisite.

I took in a deep breath, inhaling the various scents of fresh grass and honeysuckles and let out a slow, revenant hum.

"It's remarkable isn't it," a voice called out in the distance. I turned towards the echoing sound as it made its way through rows of flowering trees until my eyes spotted its owner. At the far end of the garden, I could see a small staircase leading up to a raised platform. At the top, there was Adrian standing tall, as if he was waiting for me to join him.

"It is," I called back as I made my way towards the stairs.

I wasn't sure why I was dreaming of Adrian, or how my mind had created such an elaborate place, but it was far better than that dark cave I had been in before so I decided just to go with it.

When I reached the last few steps, Adrian reached his hand out to me and guided me up towards the platform.

"It started as a small garden for early training," he said as his gaze trailed along the covered walls, "but some of the more zealous earth users got their hands on it and after the plants took over it became abandoned, more or less. It's more beautiful in this chaotic state, don't you think?"

I looked down at his hand, wondering why his touch felt so real before mindlessly responding. "Yes."

Adrian dropped his hand from mine once I was beside him and I looked back up to see him curiously studying me. As the sun shone brightly down on him I could see a faded worry line between his brows and a light beauty mark at the far edge of his cheek. Little details of his face I had never noticed before. It seemed peculiar that my mind would create such intricate details of someone I had only met twice.

I stood there silently observing him until he shifted his weight between his feet and cocked his head to the side. "Is everything alright, Rose," he quietly asked. "You're much more quiet than usual. Unless those other instances were just a fluke, but I highly doubt that," he added with a playful grin.

"It's just," I started, reaching up towards a low hanging branch and running my fingertips along the waxy leaves. "I've never had a dream like this before. It's so...so real."

I thought about how crisp his voice sounded in this place. It wasn't muffled and distant like in my usual recurring dreams.

"You mean a Spirit dream," Adrian asked with a hint of surprise in his voice.

I dropped my hand from the leaves, rubbing my fingers together to remove some of the imaginary wax and turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

"A Spirit dream," he looked at me expectantly like I was supposed to come to some sort of revelation.

"Yeah, repeating yourself like a pet parrot isn't doing anything for me."

He let out an amused puff of air before going on. "It's when a Spirit user wields the unconscious mind of a specific host to appear in their dream and communicate with them. Technically, you are still asleep and dreaming, but I'm able to morph your dream into another setting so we can meet."

"Meet," I exclaimed, my mouth agape. "You mean this is happening right now? We're having a real, live conversation?"

"Well, yeah. I thought you said your sister was a Spirit user?"

"She _is_ ," I corrected. "But she never did anything like this," I curiously reached my hand up towards him and poked two of my fingers into his chest. "At least not that I can remember."

"Hey, watch the silk," he chided as he swatted my sticky hand away.

I dropped my arm and shot my gaze up to his face. "Wait, does that mean if I mess up your clothes in here it will show up in real life too?!"

Adrian brushed the nonexistent dirt from his fancy shirt as he replied, "No, but that doesn't mean I want your memory of this glorious ensemble to be tarnished."

"You mean to tell me you chose to put that on you for this dream and aren't even wearing it right now in your—well, wherever you are," I probed as I gestured to his ridiculously fancy outfit.

"Of course, I can alter any aspect of this dream I want," he smiled proudly.

His words caused a wave of worry to wash over me and I quickly looked down to see what preposterous outfit he had decided for me. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find one of the muted garden dresses I favored when Daniela wasn't forcing me into her ensemble of choice. I wondered when he had even seen me wear this dress since I had never interacted with him while adorning it, but before I could ask he redirected the conversation.

"I'm sorry I didn't visit sooner," he said more seriously. "I wanted to wait until I had some good news to report, but unfortunately I haven't had much luck."

He began walking over to a stone bench under the tree beside us and I wondered if it had been there before. When he was seated I walked over to join him, patting the bench first to make sure I wouldn't fall through it and straight to the ground.

"Since our other previous attempts to get a message to St. Vladimir's have come back unanswered, I sent a small party of scouts to your kingdom in order to get word to your family of your whereabouts, but every time they attempted to send a raven the humans posted up around the walls shot them down. They tried as long as they could but had to return for fear that the enemies of your people would send some of their forces to find them."

My shoulders slumped at the news. I felt totally helpless, a feeling I was quickly beginning to despise. I wanted to charge down there myself and race back to my family, but if what Adrian was saying was true and not even a little raven could get through, my chances were less than slim.

"I just wish I knew what was happening. That Lissa was safe," I said more to myself than him.

"The scouts assured me the walls were still holding steady and the humans appeared to only be preventing anything from entering and leaving. There were no signs of further attacks. From what I hear the Dragomir palace is impenetrable. Your family will be safe behind those walls."

Adrian's words should have reassured me, but they did little good. I couldn't ignore the gnawing feeling inside me telling me that what was outside the walls wasn't the only danger Lissa was facing. But unfortunately, an uneasy gut wasn't enough to prove to anyone that she wasn't safe. And I wasn't sure if I could even trust anyone if I did decide to voice my concerns.

Sensing my unrest, Adrian carefully placed a hand on my shoulder. His touch was so light I wondered if he were afraid to make contact. When I looked up to him he fixed me with a serious gaze. "I'm not giving up, Rose. I said I'd help you and I meant it. We'll keep trying until we figure something out."

I stared back at him, still trying to snuff out that deceit I was sure was in there, but again I only found genuine intent.

"Why are you helping me," my voice was slightly harsher than I'd originally intended, but I couldn't hold back my concerns any longer. He dropped his hand and moved back slightly, giving me more room to question him. "I know you don't really have to. You may have told the Queen you would but it's obvious she could care less if you actually followed through. You don't have any ties to me or my family, you barely know me. So why? Why are you so concerned with helping me?"

Adrian looked across the garden for a moment, as if he was searching for an answer in the blooming flowers and wild vines, but when his focus finally turned back to our conversation, his eyes transfixed on me in an almost hypnotic way. "You have a look of destiny about you, Rose Hathaway." His voice had a far-off note to it and something about that look seemed like he was a million miles away even though he was close enough for me to touch.

Without notice, dark shadows began creeping over the sunny room, turning the colorful scene black and blue. Adrian slowly lifted his enthralled gaze up to the glass ceiling and I followed it to see a night sky full of brightly lit stars. "Many believe our futures are prewritten in the stars. That if you can decipher them correctly, you can reveal what the future will hold. Men have wasted their present lives trying to find out what lies ahead. Ironic isn't it? But you...you aren't consumed by what has yet to pass. Only what already has and what's happening _right now_." Adrian let out a deep sigh before quietly adding, "It's refreshing."

I peered over at him to see his eyes closed in contemplation. I wondered where this sudden obsession about the future stemmed from. Whatever his future was, it seemed like it would be pretty cush compared to others out in the world, but maybe there was something else I wasn't seeing. Something that he couldn't control.

"Besides," his eyes snapped open and he quickly rose to a stand, "I not only gave the Queen my word, I gave it to you." That distant tone from before had completely vanished and he seemed back to his normal, confident self. "Where I come from a man is only as good as his word, and I plan on upholding it."

I slowly stood up to stand beside him but was careful to keep my distance. "Well, I guess in that case a thank you is in order," I cautiously spoke out, unsure what side of him I'd see next.

"No need to thank me yet, " a slanted smirk formed across one of Adrian's cheeks, lighting up his handsome face under the starlit sky. "Save it for when you're feeling especially grateful. I'm sure I'll find myself worthy of your appreciation soon."

I let out a scoff at his presumptuous attitude but could tell by his growing smile that it did little to hide my amusement.

Pieces of the lush greenery around us began to fade and I looked around trying to decipher the cause.

"Ah, that's my cue to go," Adrian explained. "Looks like you are starting to wake, but don't worry I'll visit again soon."

"Worry," I shot back. "Who says I want you to invade my dreams again?"

Adrian's light chuckle bounced off the quickly fading scene as he ran a hand through his tawny hair.

"See you around, Little Dhampir."

Before I could say anything about that stupid nickname he seemed hellbent on calling me, my eyes snapped open and I found myself sprawled across my bed in the Ivashkov palace.

"Ehem."

I pulled the sheets tightly around me before whipping up to a seated position. When I looked over to the door, I spotted Daniela standing there, her foot impatiently tapping on the padded floor.

"I knocked several times but you didn't answer. I swear you sleep like the dead." She closed the door behind her and walked into my room.

"Sorry," I scratched the side of my head and began getting up off the bed, "I was having a strange dream."

Daniela ignored whatever I had said and began rambling about how even though she still hadn't forgiven my behavior, it was time I get out and start meeting some of the other lords and ladies of the kingdom. I kept quiet, not wanting to say or do anything that might change her mind about letting me leave the room, even if only to talk to borish, rich snobs. I walked over to the wardrobe as she continued blabbing about my expected behavior and began thumbing through the dresses.

When my hands landed on a familiar gray/blue one I had been wearing in the abandoned garden with Adrian I couldn't help the budding smile sprouting across my cheeks.

"You're unusually cheery this morning," Daniela acknowledged. "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing Daniela," I politely replied, letting go of the blue dress and snatching a deep green velvet one instead.

'

 **DPOV**

Songs: Short Change Hero by The Heavy, Bury Me by The Unions

It had been almost a full week since Janine had arrived.

I had yet to see or speak to her again. Thankfully, Vasilisa dismissed me so she could have a word with her in private when Guardian Hathaway began asking questions about her daughter. I was beyond grateful not to have to stick around as the Princess explained Rose's absence. I managed to hold it together in front of them when I pushed thoughts of Rose aside, but I wasn't sure how I would react when forced to relive that tragedy. Especially in front of Rose's mother.

A few days later we took a small party to navigate through the tunnels. Janine wasn't among us, I didn't ask why, but a few of the men she brought with her joined us. Vasilisa had insisted on coming, despite my and Christian's many protests. In the end, there was no argument strong enough to undermine the wishes of our future Queen.

Although she was putting on a brave face for the most part as we journeyed through the dark tunnels, I could tell Vasilisa was terrified. She would nervously latch onto Christian's arm at any unexpected sound and I could see her teeth subtly chattering behind her tightly closed lips.

We used the opportunity just to get a feel of the layout and didn't send any men through the entrance just yet, but that didn't stop Daisy from charging ahead as soon as we saw a light at the end of the tunnel. I raced after her when she took off, but by the time I got to the end, she had already dug her way through and made it out.

I knew she had been anxious to get past the walls. I consistently found her pacing at the edges of the kingdom, looking for a way out. I couldn't really blame her, she was a wild animal who needed freedom to roam, but something told me there was another reason for her wanting to leave so badly. I didn't dawn on what those reasons could be. It was obvious, really, but denying it at least hid me from the pain reality brought.

We carefully opened the remainder of the seal to judge what part of the kingdom it let out on and had a few Moroi that we brought with us establish an extra set of wards, even though we were well within the boundaries of the others bordering the kingdom. Still, I wasn't taking any risks.

Two days later we decided to conduct a test. We sent an even smaller party out through the tunnel and directed them towards a path that was close enough to the road leading to Inferion, but not so close that the humans blocking it might spot them.

Edison Castile had been one of the men to volunteer to go, and although I was confident in his knowledge of the grounds and ability to defend himself, I found myself nervously pacing across the council chambers as I anxiously waited for their return. Eddie had been one of Rose's closest and dearest friends. Even though my promise to her only extended to protecting the Princess, I knew if anything happened to him she would have been devastated and the longer he was gone, the more the need to ensure his safety resonated inside me.

After a few hours passed and my anxiety was near the brink, the door to the room flew open and Guardian Castile came bursting in with his men. However, I held off on releasing any of the tension I had built up until they gave me their full report.

Before they had even finished filing in I burst out, "Status."

"We made it in and out undetected," Eddie immediately responded with certainty. "We had our men spread out and check the perimeter once we made it to the path and there was no sign of any humans being there. We also waited inside the tunnel a good while upon arriving back to the kingdom to make sure we weren't followed."

I nodded and let out an unsteady breath. I looked over the plans Tasha and I had established residing on the oak table before turning my attention back to Castile. "How many do you think we can get out at a time?"

"I would say no more than six at a time during the day, just to be safe. We could send more at night, but then we'd run the risk of having to travel through the woods after dark."

"No," I immediately countered. "It has to be during the day." Although with our heightened senses we'd have no problem navigating through the forest at night, that wasn't the thing that worried me.

Without question, Eddie nodded and sternly replied, "Understood."

Even though Eddie hadn't seen what I'd seen the night of the attack, I could tell his concerns were just as strong as mine.

"Thank you, men." Despite the blanket term, I made sure to look at each one of them in acknowledgment. It was important to me that they all knew I appreciated the risk they had taken and was grateful for their service. Just another commonality I once had that I now desperately tried to ignore. "You've all done well. We have supper waiting for you in the dining hall. Go warm up by the fire and grab your meal. We'll reconvene tomorrow."

A few of them smiled at the opportunity to indulge in the luxuries of the castle and began making their way out of the room. Eddie was the last of them to go, but before he did he turned to me to add, "Oh Belikov, I almost forgot."

I looked up to him expectantly, hoping that he wasn't about to give me some sort of bad news. "We ran into your wolf out there. She followed us back and scampered off once we made it back inside. Not sure where she ran off to."

I gave him a tight nod and began focussing back on the plans before me, but he still didn't leave. "You know, I thought getting her back inside the castle walls would have at least earned me a pet or two, but she still wouldn't even let me touch her. Just like any fickle woman I've ever met. Uses you to get what she wants and flees the first chance she gets."

I glanced up to see Castile standing there with a lopsided grin on his face. He was trying to joke with me. I hadn't been in the mood for laughing in weeks and wasn't sure if I ever would be, but Tasha's words rang in my head. He was trying to help, in his own way I supposed and I needed to stop turning people away.

"Well, I'm sorry she made you feel used."

It wasn't much, but it was more than the curt grunts and dismissive gestures I had been responding with lately. Eddie's smile grew as he shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, I'm used to it. One day I'll just have to face the harsh reality that not all females are subject to weaken under my dazzling charm."

I shook my head and let out a breath that was more relaxed than before.

Castile gave me a small wave and began making his way towards the door but before he left I called out to him one last time. "Eddie."

He turned around with one hand still resting on the door. I tried my best to sound less like his commanding leader and more like the friend I used to be as I said, "Thank you. You did well."

His only response was a subtle nod as he finally exited the room, but I could tell he sensed the meaning behind my simple words. I considered for a moment going to join the men for a meal but decided to head back to my room instead. After all the stress I had put myself through that afternoon I needed a moment to decompress and thought about trying to read one of the books I'd borrowed from the library. I had taken it weeks ago, but every time I opened it I ended up becoming distracted by my boundless worries. When I got to my quarters I laid down on my bed with the book in hand and began running through the first few pages.

 _Seriously, Coimheach. A book?_

I let out a deep sigh as her teasing tone echoed in my mind.

 _There are so many better ways to pass the time other than reading the prosaic words of some boring stranger. Come on. Let's go for a run._

I slammed the book shut and flung it back onto my nightstand. Sitting up, I rested my elbows on my knees as my head came down to my hands. I closed my eyes, trying to push out that voice. _Her_ voice.

I fought the memories threatening to rise until my mind was filled with present worries again instead of thoughts of the past. I got up from the bed and distracted myself with starting a fire. I concentrated way harder than necessary on each individual task required to get it going until a noise from the hall pulled my attention away. I looked up from my perched position on the ground as a light scratching noise grazed against my door.

I tossed the last log in the fire as I stood up and made my way towards it. When I opened the door, I found Daisy standing there waiting to be let in. I opened the door a little more and without a word from me she sauntered in. Her head was down and her tail was tucked as if she was feeling dejected. When she sat down near the fire I closed the door and walked over towards her.

"Ey devochka," I lightly scratched the top of her head as I spoke to her in my native tongue. "Rad, chto ty vernulsya."

She rubbed her head against my hand briefly before looking up at me. When she did, I noticed something silver hanging from her mouth.

"What do you have there?"

I looked at her curiously as I held out my hand. As soon as I did she moved her snout towards me and dropped the contents from her mouth into my palm. It was cool, despite being in her warm mouth. I wiped it against the side of my trousers before bringing the object closer to my face to get a better look. It was a long silver chain with a pendant attached in the middle. I flipped it over to inspect it further, but when I placed the flat back of the pendant against my palm and the intricate details of the other side were visible, my heart clenched in my chest.

A coiled silver dragon with sapphire eyes stared back at me, a design that I had seen only one other person wear.

Rose.

I ran my fingers over the familiar necklace as I moved to sit on the bed. Minutes, maybe even hours, slipped away as I sat there staring at it while all the times I had seen it adorn her neck floated to the forefront of my mind. It hung idly on top of her wool dress in the tavern she found me and the men in, it flipped between her fingers as we sat next to the marred trees, it rested against her bare skin as she laid on a bed of furs beside me.

Warmth radiated into my palm as I sat there reminiscing each and every account I could remember...until the last. She had ripped it from her neck in an attempt to save us as the Strigoi closed in around me. I heard a small whimper come from Daisy and I finally looked away from the necklace to see her laying by the fire, peering at me with a heavy sadness in her eyes. She must have been out searching for Rose, trying to track her scent in the woods.

Unfortunately, this was the only piece of her she could find. I gazed back down to the necklace and closed my palm around it, bringing it up to my cheek. A ragged breath staggered out of me and I closed my eyes, trying to hold in those images of her when she was still with me. Rather than filling me with emptiness and anguish, I began to feel like a part of me that was missing was starting to reattach. It was small, nothing compared to what I used to have, but it was there. It was her.

I realized I had been wrong to push her memory away. Had been wrong to shut her out. I'd never forget Rose and the short time I had with her and it was senseless to pretend I ever could. I needed to hold on to every bit of her I could and keep her with me in everything I did. She became a part of me the first time we had opened up to one another, and I realized I'd always need that part, whether she was physically here or not.

As I brought the necklace back down I opened my eyes and ran my fingers along the chain. I thought about how I should bring it to Vasilisa, or her mother at the very least, but the longer I stared at it the harder it became picturing giving it up. So instead, I brought the ends behind me and fastened it around my neck, reminding myself to always keep a part of Rose with me and never let her memory die along with her.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey all, happy hump day. First off, I need to give a special shoutout to the HW godmother for helping me this week. These DPOVs are getting a little tricky now that he's less Dickitri and more OC and her expertise is always a huge help. So thank you ohorpheuss for all you do! A lot going on in this one. Rose having "dreams" about Lissa and a certain brown-eyed fellow, Adrian pulling her into a Spirit dream for the first time, Dimitri letting more and more people help him out, and also him finally letting pieces of Rose back into his life.

I know several of you have been wondering when/how the bond would affect Rose so I was really excited for this one to come out. There will be more around it later ;). Thanks to everyone out there reading! Hope you guys enjoyed it.


	31. Chapter 31

**Part 2 Chapter 31**

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: Watching Over by Greta Van Fleet, Heart and Soul by Joy Division**

With the successful return of Eddie's group, we were confident in trying something more lucrative. A group of men from our forces along with some of the troops from Galloway that had journeyed with Guardian Hathaway would travel back to their kingdom in order to get word to their lords and our allies in Northumbria.

Janine had volunteered to head on the mission and I was grateful that she would be leaving soon. It was a selfish feeling really. She had served the Dragomirs faithfully at one time and I should have been pleased to have her here protecting Vasilisa, but I couldn't quite shake the uneasiness her presence brought me. On the few occasions I interacted with her, she was nothing short of professional but it was hard for me to see her as a seasoned Guardian and a trustworthy ally when all I could think about was the distant yet autocratic mother Rose had described her as. Especially, since she appeared to show little remorse for the loss of her only daughter.

She attended meetings only long enough to argue about the best course of action and often spoke to the other Guardians like they were well below her rank. I thought maybe she would have had somewhat of a soft spot for Mason and Eddie since they grew up with her daughter, but it was like she didn't even know who they were. And maybe she didn't. From what Rose told me her mother knew little of her life—I just didn't realize how little until I was there to witness it in person.

I heard whispers that she hadn't even been to the Dragomir family crypt where a memorial for Rose had been made. I hadn't been down there since we buried her empty casket. It was dark and dismal, not at all a place where Rose would want to be. If I had it my way, I would have placed it somewhere out under the sun, somewhere that more resembled her. However, I thought Janine would have at least wanted to pay her respects and say goodbye.

There was nothing for me to say or do about it, it was none of my business after all. Still, when the day came for them to leave I couldn't help the twinge of relief I felt to no longer have her strolling through the halls.

After going over the final details one last time, I released the men for dinner and headed towards the stables. I had tasked Guardian Alto with checking on the horses several times a week but wanted to make sure for myself that he was upholding his duties. As I walked past the pins I became distracted by the agrarian ambiance and occasional puffs of air coming from the more restless horses. Animals were not always receiving of Dhampir. They sensed a strangeness in us and were oftentimes shaken or even threatened by our presence. If raised in a community such as St. Vlad's where they were constantly around us, they tended to be more accepting but any of the horses that were caught in the wild or traded by a nearby town took some time to break.

I walked over to a particularly unsettled mare who was pacing nervously in her pin. Her hide was black as night and had a sheen that reflected the dim lantern glow as she pivoted from one end to the next. I tried to soothe her with the normal coos but when my efforts proved useless I reached into the pin and latched on to the rope tied to her bridle. At first, she pulled against me, unwilling to give in, but when I finally managed to meet her eyes with mine she started to concede.

"Legkaya devushka," I calmly spoke. I reached my hand out towards her snout when she was close enough to touch. The horse jerked away a few times as my hand inched closer, but the more I talked to her the more trusting she became. When she finally allowed my hand to fall onto her snout I let out a hum in satisfaction. I stroked her hide a for a while until she was completely settled and offered her a couple of carrots as payment.

"You're pretty good at that," a sharp voice rang from the front of the stalls.

I looked over to see Janine standing stiffly in the entrance with her arms crossed over her chest. Her words appeared to be complementary, but her tone made me think otherwise. I glanced back to the mare and gave her a couple more pats on the side of her neck before releasing her rope. "They aren't always so easily persuaded, but this one seems particularly motivated by the promise of food."

A secret smile grew inside me and I gave one last lingering look towards the headstrong horse before making my way over towards Janine. "Is there something I can help you with, Guardian Hathaway?"

She looked over her shoulder, her indifferent expression refusing to give anything away, before she took a few steps deeper inside the stables. "There's something I need to discuss with you before I leave tomorrow."

I resisted the urge to let out an aggravated sigh, knowing that she was about to start yet another argument on some minute detail that had already been planned. "I assure you, Guardian Hathaway," I turned my attention away from her to hide my annoyance and secured a lock on one of the pins, "everything is in order. We have assessed all possible interferences and have been sure to—"

"Yes, yes that's all fine and well," Janine wafted her hand as if to dismiss my assurances. "I'm not here to talk about that. I need information about something that only you can help me with."

Since meeting Guardian Hathaway I could only assume she had a very low opinion of me. As professional and polite her phrasing could be, her rigid tone was often times a dead giveaway to her true feelings. And if she wasn't second-guessing my methods or plans, then she was averting her focus away from me completely. Even though I was technically the High Constable of the Dragomir Kingdom and the head of our troops, there didn't seem like there was anything that Janine couldn't accomplish on her own without me. Which is why my interest in the subject was immediately piqued. Rather than treat her with the same disrespect she had shown me and make her work for my help, I turned to face her head on and offered her my full attention.

I gave her a small nod to let her know I was open to hearing what she had to say. She finally dropped her arms to her sides, but the impassive look on her face still didn't budge as she lowly said, "I need to know what happened to my daughter."

By some miracle I managed to hide the shock I felt from my face, but inside my pulse was racing. Christian told me that Vasilisa had given Janine the necessary details already so I could avoid this very situation. Had he been mistaken? Had Janine not trusted the information she was provided?

"I thought Princess Vasilisa had already spoken to you about that," I finally replied.

"Yes," Janine said as she took three steps towards me. "And she told me you were the only other person there who made it out alive."

I tried to swallow but my throat became dry under her accusing glare.

"I need to know what happened that day. Exactly what happened. Who attacked you, why you were down there alone, what happened in her last moments on this earth." Her tone started out demanding and sharp when she began speaking but as she continued on, her voice began to crack along with the stone facade she had apparently been hiding behind.

"Please, Dimitri," her plea was barely above a whisper, but the desperation was utterly clear. "I—I need to know what became of my daughter."

It was then I realized I wasn't looking at an apathetic mother or a merciless Guardian. I was looking at a mirror.

Here was someone secretly mourning the loss of her daughter while trying to appear strong and unfeeling in front of her peers. Just as I had done before.

Thinking back to my behavior and now hers only solidified how stupid I had been to try and force the memory of Rose away. My hand ghosted over the necklace hidden under my tunic as I silently asked for her forgiveness.

I remained speechless for a while as Guardian Hathaway patiently waited for my response. I'd refused to relive that day to anyone, not wanting to think, little less speak, about Rose falling to our greatest enemy. I told myself it was because of the pain, but maybe it was also that I was afraid of appearing weak, revealing that I could be hurt by something other than a blade. Or maybe I didn't want to tarnish the longstanding reputation Rose had built up and still held strong in many of her men's eyes. However, as her mother stood there before me asking me to do the very thing I swore I never would, I suddenly found myself wanting to. If anyone deserved to hear it, it was Janine.

And so I did. I told her about the íonachta sigil, the trap set to lure us over to an open clearing, the fallen men that were slaughtered before we could even blink, and the fierceness Rose fought with til her very last breath.

By the time I finished my hands were shaking and there was a tightening in my chest so constricting, I felt like something in me would snap but at the same time, something else began to lift from within me. It was relief.

I felt like rather than soiling her memory as I feared, I had done her justice. Rose didn't deserve to die that way, no one really did, but it was what she wanted. She never would have agreed to hide behind the walls of St. Vladimir's while others were out fighting for her. As much as I would give for that to have been the alternative, she wouldn't be who she was if she was constricted by what was expected. She wouldn't have been the woman I loved.

Janine's voice snapped my attention back to the present and I was surprised by how well she had managed to hold herself together. I noticed her flinch a few times during my recollection of the battle, but other than that tiny movement she remained composed, appearing to commit every small detail to memory rather than fixating on any emotions that arose.

"And the arrow," she asked. "That's the last thing you saw?"

"Yes. It brought down the Strigoi that attacked her. I can only assume they finished it off when they reached us."

Janine shook her head as her gaze looked to the floor. "That doesn't make sense," she mumbled to herself.

I tried to follow her trail of thoughts and realized I had spent little time thinking on those last details myself. I was so wrapped up in the moment of her death that I didn't consider the events after...or other players around me.

"You're right." Her focus snapped back up towards me as questions began building in my mind. "Guardian Castile told me that when they came down to the clearing I was the only one they found alive, that included Strigoi. Rose's body was already gone by that point, so that must mean…"

"What direction did the arrow come from," Janine piped in as my voice trailed off.

I thought back to the position of the moon above us and where the sun would have risen come daylight. "From the West."

"And the other Dragomir troops would have come upon you from the South."

I nodded in agreement as Janine asked another question. "Are you sure you didn't see anyone else? Someone that could have launched the arrow?"

I focused back on that exact moment and tried to hone in on any details I might have missed, but there was nothing. "No, I didn't see anyone else."

"When I spoke to Guardian Castile he told me there was no sign of anyone coming towards or away from your location, which leaves us to believe that the Strigoi that took her quickly covered their own tracks."

I was surprised to learn she had spoken to Eddie about the incident. I wondered why he hadn't mentioned it to me but realized he was probably still nervous about bringing up Rose around me. Then Janine's words caused another thought to arise.

"But don't you think it's unlikely that it would have been a Strigoi attacking its own brigade?"

"My thoughts exactly." Guardian Hathaway admitted.

I wasn't sure what this meant. Even if someone else had spotted us and captured Rose, it would have taken a miracle to save her after the wound she had suffered. That's to say if she wasn't already dead by the time they made it over to us. An image of blood pouring out of her open back caused my stomach to churn and my legs to feel weak.

"Thank you, Guardian Belikov for the information," Janine pulled my thoughts out of the past again and this time I was grateful. "I'll be leaving at first light, but if you remember anything else from that night, anything at all, please send word to me immediately."

I'm not sure what else I could give her. If it wasn't clear before, it should have been imminently so by now that her daughter was gone. Yeva's words echoed like dismal background noise: _The Rose you loved is gone_. But despite the facts, I agreed to Janine's request anyway. "Of course."

She responded with a curt jut of her chin and turned on her heels to head out of the stables. I considered calling out to her, offering some sort of well wishes or good luck on her journey but knew it would be seen as meaningless and unnecessary to her. She had gotten what she wanted from me and tomorrow she would be gone. All I could hope for now was that her mission was a success.

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Sisters of the Moon by Fleetwood Mac, These Wicked Games by Secret Wonders**

"Stand up straight, Rose. It's unladylike to slouch," Daniella firmly pressed her bony fingers against my back causing my spine to shoot up.

I bit down on my tongue as we continued walking, a habit that had become a regular ritual over the past week. Every day shortly after sundown, Daniela would come to my chambers to escort me around the kingdom. I had met far more people than I could keep track of, most of whose names I forgot immediately after introductions were made. Each time was just as dull as the last, but I had been on especially good behavior to avoid being sequestered to my even duller room again.

The only thing that was keeping me from pulling my hair out each night when I came back to my room was the possibility of Adrian's visit. He had appeared to me in one of those creepy Spirit dreams a couple more times, but he still didn't have any good news. I kept waiting for the day he would come to me and tell me he was successful in reaching out to my family, but for now, I just had to bide my time until he did.

"Now let's see," Daniela continued on. "I planned on bringing you to the chapel today so you could meet his holiness, Bishop Arkos, but I fear our sit with Lord Voda may have put us too far behind schedule."

I tried to hold in my excitement at the idea of not having to meet some boring ass Bishop, until Daniela said, "Well maybe we can still squeeze it in if we hurry."

I let out a small sigh, but before Daniela could sense my distaste I rolled my shoulders back and began walking at an exponentially quicker pace. "Rose! Not so fast," Daniela scolded. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but ladies do not bustle."

"Yes ma'am," I automatically replied, another new habit of mine, and evened out my pace.

Daniela began chattering on and on about the Bishop's many accomplishments and I immediately became bored with the conversation. I let my eyes wander to the lush gardens of the palace grounds in an attempt for distraction. They were nice. Mostly green with a few white flowers neatly placed here and there, but they were nothing like the gardens I had seen with Adrian—a chaotic mass of blooming plants sporadically sprouting from one end of the room to the next. I thought about Natalie, Victor's daughter, and wondered if she still enjoyed botany as much as she did as a child. If so, she would no doubt adore that exotic room.

I became so deep in thought that I practically ran into a moving figure before realizing there was someone crossing my path. I jumped out of the way just before my shoulder collided with another and bumped into Daniela in the process.

She looked down at me with a stern glare and smoothed out the waist of her dress before turning to face the others in our path.

"Excuse me, Lady Daniela," a young girl's sweet voice spoke. "My sincerest apologies. I must have lost my footing."

I looked up to see there was not only one person before us, but three. A Moroi girl around my age, maybe younger, stood tall with perfect posture as she greeted Daniela with a curtsy. She had bright red hair that blazed like a silk fire and striking grey eyes reflecting a cool, stormy day. Her pale cheekbones were sharp enough to cut glass and her thin lips were coated with a bright pink rouge that made them stand out against her fair complexion.

"It's quite alright, Iris," Daniela cooed as the girl rose from her practiced bow. "Rose here is easily...distracted."

The two girls behind the fiery redhead bit their lips to hold in a laugh, but Iris remained perfectly composed. "Yes, the beauty of the palace gardens are easy to get lost in. I remember my first time seeing them, I was practically entranced."

I looked around at the intricately shaped shrubbery and the formulated way the alabaster flowers were placed between. Honestly, it was kind of mundane. "Uh, yeah," I finally replied. "Entranced."

In an attempt to cover up my sarcastic tone, Daniela jumped in to do what she did best...introductions. "Ladies, I'm glad we ran into you, although not so literally would have been more ideal. This is Princess Rosemarie Hathaway, our honored guest."

"Pleased to meet you," the trio replied in unison as they bowed their heads in another curtsy.

Daniela began calling them out individually as they rose back to a stand. Iris, I already picked up on, Gwyneth, a slightly plain-looking Moroi girl with ashy brown hair, and lastly Lana, who was even slimmer than the other two with blonde hair that was white as the stars. They all wore matching polite smiles that Daniela would be proud to see and gave me a small nod as she announced their names.

"If there is anything we can help you with during your stay, Your Highness, please don't hesitate to ask us," Iris warmly replied.

"Yes," Gwyneth added. "Anything you need."

I looked at them speculatively for a moment. Although they seemed like miniature versions of Daniela who cared more about appearance than substance, I guess they were at least kind of nice. Not to mention, they were some of the few people I had met that weren't ancient and decrepit so I figured I might as well give them a shot. I gave them a small nod, causing their faces to light up, and decided nice was better than nothing.

"Actually, ladies," their heads whipped to Daniela, their eyes widening in enthralled anticipation. "We had planned to walk over to the chapel, but I fear we have run out of time. I need to get back to take care of some things before supper. Would you girls mind escorting Rose back to the dining hall? She still isn't accustomed to the lay of the grounds and I'm sure she would enjoy the company."

"Of course, Lady Daniela," Iris was the first to speak again. "We'd be happy to." The other girls nodded behind her and Daniela passed them a grateful smile.

"Thank you, ladies, and Rose," she looked over to me, "I'll see you for supper. On time," she sharply added before turning to leave.

I didn't bother with the usual ' _yes, ma'am'_ this time since I knew she would most likely scold me for speaking to her back. The other girls waved her off enthusiastically, their smiles wide enough to split their faces, only dropping their hands when she was finally out of sight.

Once her hand fell, Iris' warm smile immediately came crashing with it, leaving an annoyed sneer in its place. "Gah Gwynnie. ' _Yeeess. Anything you neeed'_ ," Iris gratingly imitated her companion. " _Pfft_ echo much?"

"Whatever!" Gwyneth rolled her eyes at the insult. "You're the one whose lips were practically sewn to Lady Daniela's ass."

I was a little shocked by the way they spoke to each other after just witnessing their courtly poise in front of Daniela, but that didn't mean I wasn't thoroughly entertained.

"Yeah," Lana agreed as she brushed a piece of her pale hair over her shoulder with a cocky grin. " _Desperate_ much? You know getting in good with his mother isn't getting you anywhere closer to landing Adrian."

Iris wafted her hand towards Lana as if her mere existence was nothing to the ginger Moroi. "Oh please Lana, if I needed advice on spreading my legs for aging, married men, then I'd come to you. So, keep your useless advice on how to snatch a man to yourself and worry about your own dwindling prospects."

I had to admit, Iris had game. A small laugh escaped me at that brutally crafted insult and their heads snapped towards me as if just remembering I was still there.

"And what's so funny _Dhampir_ ," Lana chewed on the word like it disgusted her.

I refused to let her think it bothered me and shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly. "Nothing, really. I was just thinking if that's the opinion your friends have of you, I can't imagine what the rest of the court thinks."

"What's it to you," Gwyneth piped in. "It's not like your reputation at court is anything to brag about. I think beastly and insolent were among the most common terms going around."

 _Beastly?_ "Moroi and their dramatics," I said more to myself than them with an irritated eye-roll.

"Ladies, please," Iris stepped forward with a cool cadence. "Let's not forget, we are supposed to be helping the Princess. She is a guest of the royal family after all."

Her little minions didn't seem too pleased by that reminder, but they didn't argue with her either.

"I'm sorry for their attitude. They aren't used to being around... _strangers_ at court," Iris said as she began guiding me towards another pathway.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Lana and Gwyneth following a few steps behind us with disinterested expressions. "What? You guys don't get visitors way out in the Western Isles," I asked her.

"Of course we do," Iris glanced down at me over the tip of her nose. "Just not ones as _colorful_ as you."

I was beginning to notice how skilled she was at sounding polite while still insulting me any chance she got. She was practically an artist.

"Well," I managed to keep my cool and casually ran my hand through my loose locks. "I'm glad I'm able to add some color into your lives. Wouldn't want you to get bored way out here. It's not good for one's aging complexion."

Iris surprised me with a small chuckle as she said, "Oh trust me. We find ways to stay entertained."

Giggling erupted behind us as Lana and Gwyneth leaned towards each other for a hushed conversation. I didn't think too much about it though, assuming it was either something derogatory about me or some gossipy detail going around court that I could care less about. We walked a few more meters before coming to the entrance of what appeared to be towering walls of greenery.

"What's this," I asked no one in particular.

"A pathway," Iris returned with a tone that told me it had been a dumb question. I was full of those lately.

"I've never been down this one before," I mused as we began walking through.

"Really," Gwyneth chirped from the back of our ensemble.

"It doesn't surprise me," Lana said with a dose of boredom. "Lady Daniela is one for show. She doesn't like to wander off where she can't be spotted by the public eye."

"And you do?" I looked over at her with a cocked eyebrow.

The slim Moroi twirled a piece of her pale hair between her fingers as a foxy smile curved the corners of her mouth. "The best secrets are made in dark corners."

Gwyneth began giggling beside her, nudging her friend with her shoulder. "Naughty!"

I looked around, realizing there had been a few more turns than I would have expected for a path. As we rounded another sharp corner I asked, "Are you sure you know where—"

An abrupt gasp stopped my question short and I turned around to see Iris standing still with a paled look on her face. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what," I asked, slightly confused and a little annoyed.

"I heard it too," Gwyneth quietly said with an equally worried expression.

"Oh c'mon," Lana supplied. "You guys are just paranoid."

"Oh really? Well, if you're so brave _you_ go check it out," the brunette Moroi challenged her friend.

"I'm not checking out shit because there's nothing to check out! You guys are just trying to scare me."

"I swear, Lana. I really heard it this time," Iris said as she took a step back.

"Heard what," I repeated more loudly, not bothering to hide my irritation this time.

"The ghost of Sadira Ivashkov," Gwyneth morbidly replied.

"A ghost," I asked dryly. Two of them nodded their heads while Lana just looked at them uneasily. "You seriously expect me to believe that? How dense do you think I am?"

"It's not a joke!" Iris' voice rose to a whispered shrill and I rolled my eyes to let her know I still wasn't buying it.

"There was a rumor years ago that Sadira Ivashkov killed herself just around that path," Lana explained. "Something about her being heartbroken over a lost lover or something, I'm not sure about the details. But they say sometimes late at night you can hear her wailing."

Suddenly, a soft cry that was barely audible echoed through the brush walls and we all simultaneously jerked our focus towards it.

"See," Iris croaked. "I told you I wasn't making it up. You heard it too!"

"Let's get out of here," Gwyneth shakily breathed out.

"What?! We're almost to the end. If we go back we'll have to walk all the way around," Lana complained.

The three of them began bickering again over who should check it out and whether or not Sadira was real. My annoyance had finally reached its limit as I realized I was going to be late to meet Daniela if we didn't get moving soon and I let out a loud groan. "Gah you big babies! _I'll_ go check it out."

Without wasting any more time, I marched around the corner while grumbling, "It's probably just some pathetic woman crying about spilled wine on her silk dress."

When I walked a few more steps I could see a semicircle with two other paths leading in opposite directions. I strolled over and peaked down each one to see them completely empty. When I was satisfied that there was nothing there I walked back over to where I had left the three delicate dolls. "Alright the path is clear, there's no one—"

As I arrived at the path where they should've been, I was surprised to see it empty. I looked around to see if maybe they had crouched together in a corner like scared little kittens, but after a few more yards of no one in sight, I called out their names. "Lana? Iris? You can come out now, everything's fine."

I was met with silence for a moment until the familiar giggling began echoing down the way. I walked towards it, but when I thought I'd finally reached them I was met with a dead end in the form of a giant stone wall. "The hell? Gwyneth, where are you guys?"

"This way, Rose," a voice called out.

"No this way," another answered in a different direction.

I suddenly realized I'd been swindled. They were toying with me.

"Ha, ha. Very funny," I called out to the wind.

"I guess we forgot to mention," Iris' sweet voice returned. "It's not really a path so much as a maze." Full blown laughter erupted in all directions and I looked up trying to see if there was a way for me to climb one of these shrubbery walls so I could find their location...and beat them to a pulp.

"It shouldn't take a _Princess_ like you that long to figure it out," Gwyneth baited.

"Just watch out for Sadira," Lana added with that familiar sass.

"Ye fuckin bampot," I shouted at the sky. "I swear, when I find you, you'll long for the days when a reputation as a hoor was the only thing tainting your pathetic life!"

Their laughing only increased, fueling my rage as I began running in a chosen direction. When I was met with another stone wall I slammed my palms against it. I repeated this approach a few more times until their laughter ceased and I was left alone with my frustrations.

"Alright, Rose calm down," I said to myself. "Think."

I took a few calming breaths and let my surroundings sink in. It looked the same as the last place I had just run through and didn't seem that promising, but I had to try and find my way out. "You got this," I tried to pump myself up, shaking the tension out of my arms and cracking my neck to the side. I could do this. I just had to focus. I picked up a loose rock from the ground and made a mark on the stone wall in the shape of an X. After that, I made a small line on the ground as I made it around the corner and began walking forward, making another line at each turn I made.

Once I reached another dead-end I made an X on the wall and began walking down a new path, making sure to avoid any corners that had a line marked at the base.

Feeling slightly more confident I picked my head up and quickened my pace. "How long can a stupid maze made by even stupider Moroi take anyways?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Aw would you look at that? Rose made some friends XD. If any of you are curious about Queen B Iris, I decided to spotlight her on the cover image for this chapter.

This week's songs during D'sPOV are dedicated to the HW godmother, Gaya. She got to see one of my favorite bands this past weekend along with one of hers and I've been super jealous about it all week. Thanks for all you do in this story godmother and generally for just being you :).

Translations:

Legkaya devushka - easy girl

Ye fuckin bampot - You unhinged tit


	32. Chapter 32

**Part 2 Chapter 32**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Sweet Tides by Thievery Corporation, Apple Tree by Marika Hackman**

Two and a half hours. That's how long a stupid maze made by even stupider Moroi takes. I was not only late for dinner, but I had missed it completely. Daniela left one of her ladies in waiting behind to tell me how disappointed she was and that if I should finally show up, I was to be sent to bed without dinner. It took everything within me to not strangle to the poor messenger.

I stalked back to my room, hungry, pissed, and exhausted. It was only a matter of minutes before my head hit my pillow and my body fell into a deep sleep.

My dreams were strange again. I was seeing through Lissa's eyes, living inside her mind as she spoke to someone beside her. Every once in a while she would look around and I saw little familiar details that told me we were in my chambers. Lissa and I had sat together in my room countless times as kids, but I couldn't remember being with someone like the person who joined her now. It was the same one I saw on many occasions during these dreams. Their face still wasn't clear, but those eyes...they were sharper than any other part of the dream. Normally, they brought Lissa comfort, but this time there was a sadness in them that had her heart clenching. Her feelings were so strong in my dream I felt like they were happening to me. Her pain was my pain, her grief was my grief, and her empathy for this stranger was coursing through us above all else. I wanted to reach out to her, to run to her side and tell her everything was okay, but all I could do was watch.

I wasn't sure what they talked about, but even hearing the muffled sounds of her voice was enough to soothe my worried mind just a little. Eventually, the strange dream faded away and I woke to the sun shining in my room. It was still too early for the Moroi day to begin, but I didn't feel like trying to go back to sleep. I decided to slip out of my room and go in search of some food. If no one was awake yet, I could sneak into the kitchens for some bread and cheese.

I crept down the hallway towards one of the few dining halls I knew and slipped in undetected. Luckily, my assumptions had been correct and I managed to sneak in and out of the kitchen with a tray full of food. I sat at the dining table, gorging in my prize, when I suddenly I heard one of the doors creak open. I quickly looked around to see if there was anywhere I could hide, but before I could even decide on an ideal spot the door closed as someone entered the room.

"Well hello there, I didn't peg you as a morning person," a familiar voice called out.

I turned around towards the door to see Adrian standing there and let out a deep sigh in relief. "It's just you."

"Just me," he proclaimed as if he was offended. "You know a lot of people in this kingdom would be honored to spend time with someone as charming as myself."

He walked over to the table and took a seat beside me. "I thought you were your mother," I admitted as I began indulging in my tray of food again.

"Ah, well fear not," Adrian snatched a plum off my tray and took a big, juicy bite out of it. "Lady Daniela takes her beauty sleep very seriously. You won't be seeing her up for at least another few hours."

I nodded as I downed another piece of bread, but then thought more about the oddity of Adrian being here. It was considered the middle of the Moroi night and a peculiar time for anyone to be up and about, yet this was the second time I had seen Adrian out at this hour. The only other time I had seen him walking through the castle was when he was forced to attend the council hearing. I was beginning to wonder if he was on some sort of Moroi nocturnal schedule.

"Why are you up at this hour," I asked him curiously.

"Same as you," he replied as he took another bite of fruit. "Needed a snack."

I found it hard to believe that he didn't have servants on call at all hours to bring him anything he asked for. "This isn't the first time I've seen you out during the day," I pointed out.

He paused to glance at me over the top of his plum then set it down on the table without taking another bite. "Yes, well I guess you could say I don't sleep very soundly."

I studied him for a moment, realizing that he did look slightly more tired than the other times I had seen him. I wondered what he dreamed about when he wasn't invading other people's.

Suddenly filled with a burst of energy, Adrian hopped up from his seat and began picking a few things off my tray. "Come on," he said as he began walking away from the table. "I doubt you want to spend this glorious day hiding inside a dark dining hall. Let's take this food elsewhere and enjoy the fresh air."

He was right. It felt like ages since I had been outside under the sun. It was yet another thing that I often felt was a missing part of my life. A small smile crept over my face as I mimicked his attempt to gather as much food as possible and hurriedly followed him out the room.

We found a secluded spot in the gardens under a large magnolia tree. Adrian stayed mostly in the shade to avoid the irritation many Moroi felt from sun exposure, but I stretched my arms and legs indulgently as I laid in the grass under the sun's warm beam. I closed my eyes and began to reminisce about Lissa. I thought about a time when I had convinced her to sneak out with me during the day. We couldn't have been older than seven or eight, but my rebelliousness developed at a young age. We ran out past the wall and picked wildflowers for hours. When we returned Lissa's arms were covered with red blisters. Our parents were furious, but the memory still brought a content smile to my face.

"I'm sorry I didn't visit you sooner," Adrian's voice interrupted my silent musing. "I tried to come to you in a Spirit dream earlier, but you were already somewhere else."

My brow furrowed causing the orange color under my eyelids to darken. "Somewhere else?"

I hadn't been anywhere other than in my bed asleep before I ran into him at the dining hall. Maybe it was some lame excuse for his magic falting.

"Yes. I tried to pull you into a dream, but you were already sucked into your Spirit bond."

 _A Spirit bond?_ I finally opened my eyes again and turned my head toward Adrian to see him lounging back on his elbows, feeding himself grapes straight from the stem. He looked like some modern version of Dionysus.

"So, you're saying your magic wouldn't work because someone else here was trying to use theirs on me? Trying to pull me into whatever it is you called it?"

"Unlikely," Adrian shook his head. "Unless you've died and become shadow kissed to someone here in the past few weeks." A sarcastic smile tugged the corner of his mouth, but I didn't find anything he had just said to be remotely funny.

"What? Why would you say that," I turned on my side propping myself up with my elbow. "Shadow kissed? What do you mean I would've died?" I wasn't exactly sure why, but I suddenly felt angered by his words.

Adrian paused with his mouth partially open and the grapes dangling in the air. His eyes glanced over to me and after gauging my less than pleased demeanor he dropped the fruit and sat fully upright. "You mean Sir Robert hasn't told you, you're shadow kissed?"

"What the fuck is shadow kissed and how the hell would he know?!" I was getting really tired of Adrian repeating things back to me that I obviously had no clue about.

"I—I'm sorry, Rose. Truly, I am," a serious look covered his handsome features and his tone took on a slightly more ominous note. A chill began to run through me at his sudden change and I sat up to pull my knees to my chest, bracing for what he was about to say next. "Shadow kissed is a result of someone being brought back from the dead by a Spirit user. It isn't very common but there have been recorded instances of it happening and some studies have even been documented."

I tried to take a deep breath, but my body suddenly seized up. I sat there motionless, unable to think or speak. Adrian inched closer to me, fixing my eyes with his.

"What do you remember about the day your parents died," he quietly asked.

I looked down to the grass and tried to think back to that day, focussing on those moments rather than what he had been saying. "We were out for a ride. It was cloudy so we stayed out for most of the day," I started. The memory was blurry, but the harder I thought about it, the more details started to become slightly more clear. "There—there was an accident."

Images of sliding rocks and the sounds of horses' shrill roars fought to surface. There was a slight pain in the side of my head, but I tried to push through it. "I flung Lissa to safety but fell into the ravine. I—I was hurt." Flashes of flowing blood and cracked bones caused my eyes to sting. "Badly hurt."

"You weren't just hurt, Rose," Adrian faintly said as his hand slowly crept over to mine. My fingers were tightly weaving into the grass the more my headache grew, but a soft warmth began making its way over the top of my hand causing my fingers to relax. I suddenly felt like if I looked hard enough I'd be able to see a soft glow, almost like the sun seeping out of Adrian's palm into me.

 _His magic_ , I realized.

I thought about pulling away, unsure what he was trying to do, but instead, I decided to trust him and slowly shut my eyes. I opened my mind letting the gruesome images rise. Jabs of pain arose with each new vision, but a dose of warmth quickly followed allowing me to delve deeper. Eventually, clear images poured into my mind. Lissa climbing down the rocks towards me. Her hand wrapped around mine as darkness completely overcame me. A blindingly bright light bringing me back. Waking up in my chambers with her beside me weeping.

My eyes snapped open and I exclaimed, "I died!"

Adrian gently moved his hand away and sat back on his heels. "Yes."

"Lissa brought me back."

He nodded in response as his eyes hovered above me. It was like he was inspecting the space around me for something venomous. "In doing so, you became bonded to one another. It allows you to feel her emotions and see through her eyes. From what I've been told it can be very intrusive and overwhelming at first, but it is a spectacular gift once it's mastered."

I thought about the strange dreams that had haunted me lately and abruptly realized they weren't dreams at all. It was _her_. It was really her, living and breathing, walking through life. I had seen Lissa!

Elation coursed through me thinking about all the times I had felt Lissa alive and well. I looked up to Adrian to find him regarding me with a contented look. I tilted my head to the side and attempted to raise an eyebrow at him. "How did you know all of this? How did you know about me and Lissa sharing a bond?"

"Your cousin, Lady Dashkov told me," he admitted. "It was one of the reasons I was anxious to come to your kingdom. I wanted to learn more about your sister's abilities and how the bond worked between you two. I was interested to see how it affected your daily lives."

"Why would it affect our daily lives if I can only access it in my dreams?"

Adrian's brows furrowed at my question. "I'm sorry, I won't claim to be an expert, but you should be able to access it more than just in your dreams. Especially during moments of heightened emotions." His eyes glanced towards the ugly bracelet at my wrist and a thoughtful hum escaped him.

His green eyes drifted off in a way I'd seen before and he seemed to be somewhere else. "Adrian? What is it," I carefully asked, unsure how to approach him when he was in this state.

"How often do you and my mother participate in visits with Sir Robert," he asked. "She mentioned he was trying to help you sort things out. Do you still see him?"

"Yes," I hesitantly replied. "At least three times a week."

His brows remained furrowed and a thousand things seemed to be running through him.

"Why? Do you think he'd know something about the bond not working right?"

"I don't know. Maybe," Adrian mused for a few more moments before finally looking up to meet my anxious gaze. "But he should have at least told you about it. Especially about being shadow kissed. There are some... _side effects_ that require attention."

"You mean other than living in my sister's brain at unforeseen times?"

"Yes." I expected him to chuckle at my sassy comment like he usually did, but instead, he remained especially serious. He stood up from the ground, not bothering to wipe off any grass or stray dirt that clung to his fancy clothes and reached out a hand to help me up. "Let's go."

His disposition had me feeling uneasy and I warily asked him, "Where?"

"I think it's time we paid Sir Robert a visit."

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd**

It had been a while since I had spoken to the Princess. She had been pulled in a thousand directions, from gathering trusted advisors to help her find maps of the hidden tunnels, to planning her coronation and all the odds and ends that went with it. I wanted to make sure she had the full details of the mission set out for Galloway and hoped to catch her during a spare moment.

After searching for her for the better part of an hour and coming up short, I decided to seek out Christian. When he told me where I could find her, I thought maybe I should leave her be. If she was there, alone, I didn't want to intrude. And if I was being honest, I was somewhat afraid of going there myself. However, since the party would be leaving in just a few short hours I decided to push down those useless feelings and approach her while I could.

The door was cracked when I reached the room, but I still lightly knocked as I pushed it open. The soft sounds announced my arrival and the young Moroi looked up from the bed at me.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Princess. If this is a bad time I can—"

"Nonsense," she sighed, waving her hand through the air. "Come in. You have just as much right to be here as me."

I hesitated in the doorway for a moment, trying to get up the nerve to walk in. I inhaled a deep breath and took a few steps, leaving the door cracked as to not make Vasilisa nervous. My head was down, my gaze fixed on the floor when the Princess called me over.

"Dimitri, please. Come sit with me."

I adhered to her kind request and walked over towards her. Once I reached the bed I carefully sat on the edge of the mattress, afraid of accidentally tarnishing it.

"I really missed her today," Vasilisa quietly said as she turned over a small piece of fabric in her hands. "Secret passageways, daring missions, these were all the kinds of things that would excite her."

I tore my gaze away from the floor and glanced over to her beside me. There was a sadness behind her jade eyes, understandably so, but somehow there was still a small smile beckoning to form.

"This was one of her deepest, darkest secrets," she lifted the piece of fabric up off her lap and that smile began to grow. "It started as a full blanket that she had as a baby, and as she held onto it over the years it began to wither away. It used to bring her comfort when we were children. She'd cling to it during a winter storm, or when she had a bad dream. As we grew older, she thought it was pathetic and weak to need something so trivial, but she'd secretly hide it under her pillow for a rainy day, so to speak."

A light-hearted breath that almost sounded like a laugh escaped her and the sound had me feeling slightly more at ease.

"She would have reamed me if she knew I told anyone about it. Especially someone like you," she nudged my shoulder with hers and looked back down to the small trinket.

Feeling slightly more comfortable, I finally took it upon myself to glance around the room. It was modest, especially for a royal chamber, but once I did, I became entranced. Everything about the room exuded Rose. Everything _was_ Rose. Little knickknacks lining her shelves, pieces of clothing carelessly strewn across furniture, it even _smelled_ like Rose.

My heart warmed at each little piece of her I was allowed to witness and I began thinking about what the Princess had said. The mission we were embarking on and the information that had arisen since would have thrilled her to no end. I could almost picture her here, rolling around excitedly on the bed as she talked about all the new discoveries we would find. The visual was so real for an instant that I almost forgot we were alone in the room.

"I miss her too," I whispered. My hand sank into the plush covers of her bed and I took in another deep breath, clinging to the lively scent in the air.

We sat there quietly for a few moments, both of us just taking in the feel of Rose around us. Letting the remnants of her life provide us some sense of comfort. Eventually, Vasilisa broke our tranquil silence and asked, "So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

I straightened up a little and collected my thoughts. "I wanted to give you a quick rundown of the mission tomorrow. I know how busy you've been with other matters, but I wanted to make sure you were well informed of the last minute details."

"Thank you, Dimitri," she pulled her legs up onto the bed and shifted into a more comfortable position. "I know I haven't been to as many war council meetings lately so I appreciate you seeking me out. But you don't need to worry yourself with the details today. Tasha filled me in earlier. We were waiting on the royal dressmaker so she figured she'd kill two birds with one stone."

I nodded in response and a slightly troubled look formed on the Princess' face. "If you don't want her to tell me what goes on in your meetings I can tell her I'd rather hear it straight from you next time. I don't want you to feel like someone is going over your head."

"No need, Princess," I calmly spoke to ease her worries. "If I didn't trust Natasha with information that you should hear, I would never have asked her for her help on the council. I'm glad she told you."

Vasilisa's shoulders relaxed and she gave me a small, shy smile. "Good."

I tried my best to give her a semblance of a smile in return, hoping my assuring look would suffice instead. "I better go. I don't want to take up any more of your little free time than I already have."

I made a move to stand, but before I fully rose from the bed Vasilisa spoke up again.

"Dimitri," the vulnerability lacing her voice caused me to pause and I gave her my full attention. Her focus was resting on the bed below her, causing a few strands of pale hair to fall over her collar. She picked one up and began running it through her fingers as she quietly asked, "Would you mind sitting with me for just a bit longer? It feels good to share her with someone. Even if it's just her memory."

During the time when Rose was mine, the idea of sharing her would have thrown me into a jealous rage. I wanted her all to myself, every part of her. Every moment she was away from me I was counting down the minutes until she was back in my arms, and each second we spent together I clung to it, never really getting my absolute fill. But as I took another glance around the commemorative room I realized Lissa was right. This _did_ feel good. So without pause, I took my position back on the end of the bed, pushing further on to it since it was plenty large to comfortably fit us both. "Of course."

We didn't say anything else as we sat there, silently musing about the wild girl who had touched both of our lives and brought so much warmth into the depths of our souls. It was the closest I had felt to her in a while, and I was beyond grateful to Vasilisa for sharing this with me.

Eventually, the Princess fell asleep, her head buried in Rose's pillows. I sat there for a while longer, twirling the pendant around my neck between my fingers as I reminisced about Roza _. My Roza._

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for posting later in the day than usual. I got a little behind on editing and still didn't spend as much time on it as I usually like to so apologies if I missed a few mistakes. Anyways, I thought it would be nice to show a true parallel to what's going on in Romitri's worlds rather than just alluding to it. Rose caught a small glimpse of it through the bond, but then we get to see the full scene from Dimitri's POV later. Hope you guys liked it!

I know things have been a bit slower with the separation of these two, but we've almost gotten the tidbits we need before things start escalating again. Especially now that Adrian is on to something ;). Thanks to you all for reading!


	33. Chapter 33

**Part 2 Chapter 33**

 **DPOV**

 **Song: Hush by Magic City Hippies**

It only took a couple of days for us to receive word that our mission was a success. We still couldn't get ravens past the scattered barriers the humans had built up without them being shot down, but one of the men from Galloway stealthily made it back to deliver us a message in person. Janine was already getting word out to our allied lords and was formulating plans to come to our aid.

Unfortunately, we weren't out of the weeds just yet. Moroi tended to pride themselves on being very diplomatic but weren't always the swiftest at making decisions. We knew it would take a bit of time before they joined together to rally behind us. There was also the matter of getting word back to Inferion about our current predicament.

I had hoped that hearing from some of our neighboring kingdoms would be enough to spur the Ozeras into action, but Christian assured me that they most likely wouldn't listen. They would need to hear it straight from him or Natasha that our assistance was needed, and even so, they would still be hesitant to lend a helping hand. That's apparently when Tasha decided she would go back herself and rally her own personal troops. A plan that I was completely against.

Although we were sure that Guardian Hathaway's party made it past the human invaders successfully, Inferion was a much further journey than Galloway. They would be traveling with fewer soldiers than when they first came to our kingdom in order to avoid detection, and the chances of them running into foe along the way were much higher.

Natasha knew that I wouldn't agree to this plan if she brought it to me first, so instead, she waited until we had a full council meeting and raised it to a vote. Admittedly, I felt blindsided by her proposal and even more so when the majority voted in favor of it.

Not only was she a noble Lady but Inferion was her home and if she wanted to leave and go back, she had every right to. However, during her time here she had become someone I turned to when it came to ensuring the safety of St. Vladimir's and genuinely, a close friend. I didn't want to see her hurt...or worse.

She had hurried out of the meeting before I got a chance to speak to her alone and had been hard to track down since. I didn't want to intrude by confronting her at her private chambers, but I was down to my last resource. Which is how I found myself standing idly outside her bedroom door.

I thought about just waiting there until she came out, but that could either take hours or come off as desperate. And maybe I was, but I didn't want my argument to lose any credibility from the get-go. So I finally accepted the inevitable and raised my fist to her door.

My light knock was followed by a hurried, "Come in," from the other side. I pushed through and shut the door behind me without a second thought. I took a couple steps into the room without picking up my gaze, but when I finally did my body froze in place.

Apparently, Tasha had company. Sprawled across her large bed was not one, but two young beauties. A red-headed Dhampir girl with olive colored skin, and a pale Moroi girl with light brown hair. Both completely naked.

I knew Tasha had particular tastes and enjoyed the company of some such as these on various occasions—it was actually one of the things that she and Ivan had in common and often times found themselves competing over the same prize—but I wasn't expecting to walk in on them completely indisposed.

I stood there, still as a statue, completely clueless as what to do. She had told me to come in but obviously, I had interrupted something. I was trying to decide if I should turn around and leave without saying anything or if I should wait for her in the other room when one of the girls poked her head up from the pile of furs.

"Who's that," the redheaded Dhampir purred.

"Mmm he looks yummy," the other added, her light eyes hooded with seduction.

Tasha rolled to her side and was, thankfully, more clothed than the other girls she was lounging with. She tangled her hand in the Moroi girls hair and ran her nose along her neck before looking over towards me. Once her crystal eyes landed on me she dropped her arm and moved slightly away from her paramour as she started to sit up.

"Dimitri, I thought you were one of the maids come to bring us more wine," Tasha lazily proclaimed.

"I—I'm sorry. I'll come back when—"

"Nonsense," Tasha interrupted my nervous sputtering and began rising from the bed. "You wouldn't have come by unless it was important. Just let me get decent quickly." She reached for a robe hanging off the edge of the bed and began slipping it on. When the Dhampir girl started to reach for what looked like a translucent nightgown, Tasha shot out her hand and swatted the maiden on her bare butt cheek.

"Not you," she playfully admonished. "I want you to stay just the way you are." The ginger girl gave her a shy smile before Tasha covered it with her own lips.

The brunette began inching her way towards the other end of the bed closer to me as she asked, "What kind of name is Demitri?"

"It's Dimitri," Tasha said as she moved away from the Dhampir, giving her a small wink before making her way to her vanity.

The Moroi girl continued to stare at me until I nervously looked away. I had never been shy around women per se, but the unexpectedness of the situation had completely thrown me off.

"He's so handsome," the redhead hummed. "Why doesn't he join us instead." Her high-pitched voice had a whiny note to it as if she was a child begging her mother for a new toy.

"Yes," the brunette chimed in. "You look like you could use a good time. And we _know_ how to have a good time." The two girls began giggling and I could feel my cheeks reddening.

"Alright you two cut it out," Tasha called over to them as she put her hairbrush down. "Leave him alone."

"Aw, c'mon," I could hear them rolling around on the bed and resisted the temptation to look over at them again. "We just want to have a little fun with him."

"Well, unfortunately, I don't think Guardian Belikov came here for fun. Did you," Tasha raised an eyebrow in question as she walked over to me. I brusquely shook my head in response and turned to the entrance to her suite.

The girls began pouting behind me as Tasha opened the door to the adjoining room. As I stepped through she turned back to them and called out, "I'll be back soon. Don't have too much _fun_ without me."

"We can't make any promises," the Moroi girl saucily replied as she and her companion began giggling again.

Tasha shook her head as she closed the door behind her and the sounds of their laughter finally ceased. I patiently stood beside one of the empty seats until she made her way into the room and asked me to sit.

I didn't want to waste time discussing the embarrassing encounter at her bedside so as soon as she sat across from me I began what I had come there to say. "I don't agree with your plan to go to Inferion."

Her eyes widened into a surprised look as she said, "Well, someone's not beating around the bush today."

"I'm sorry for being blunt, but I wish you would have consulted me first. There must be another way we can get support from your homeland without you taking such a risk."

She sat there quietly for a moment, seemingly mulling over my protest, but when she looked back up to meet my stare I could see her mind was already made up. "I understand your concerns, Dimitri and I'm sorry I didn't come to you first, but I'm going."

I opened my mouth to argue, but she held up a hand and stopped me before I could say anything else. "I know what you're going to say, and don't bother. A proxy or a letter from Christian or I wouldn't hold any merit with my family. I know them and even going in person is going to take a lot of convincing. I'll be able to accomplish more this way. Plus, if we run into any humans, the Guardians can subdue them and I can compel them so there is no suspicion of where we came from."

Despite my deep reservations, she was right. Everything she said made sense. But then why did I still feel uneasy about this?

Tasha's ivory hand covered one of mine resting on my knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Trust me, Dimka," she said assuringly. "I can take care of myself."

A bold smile grew across her lips, revealing the edges of her fangs.

"I know you can."

Even if her solid argument was full of holes instead, I could see there was no way I'd be able to convince her to stay. I knew at this point most people would resort to an emotional appeal, but I highly doubted that would work with someone like Tasha and if I was being honest, it didn't feel quite right. So instead, I presented a compromise.

She and her Guardians would wait in a nearby town for one day while we sent a second party to meet them. Then they would all travel the remainder of the way to Inferion together. They would be relatively safe for the night in town before anyone would catch on and the extra backup would help them on the road if they ran into any Strigoi at night. Luckily, Tasha wasn't a proud woman and agreed to my bargain.

I still wasn't completely satisfied knowing that she was putting herself in imminent danger, but if I expected it of my men then I should expect nothing less of an accredited warrior like her.

"Well, if that's all you have to say then I should be getting back. There are a couple of sweet treats I don't want spoiling in my absence." She flashed me a sly wink and I couldn't help but crack a smile as I thought about how similar to Ivan she could be sometimes—especially when it came to women.

"Of course. Sorry for interrupting." I began to stand when one of her hands snaked up my arm. I looked over towards it as her fingers lightly trailed along my bicep.

"You know, Grecia's offer still stands. If you'd like to join us we'd be more than happy to accommodate." There was a seductive gleam to her piercing blue eyes that most men would probably fall for in an instant. This wasn't the first time she had propositioned me and there were several times where I almost found myself giving into that look.

One of her eyebrows slightly rose and the corner of her bottom lip sunk between her teeth. I considered her for a moment. It would be so much easier to shed my misery with my clothes and get into bed with someone else. A simple distraction to ease my mind.

But I couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry, Tasha." I tried to think of a way to let her down politely without hurting her feelings in any way, but I just came out sputtering instead. "It's just—I can't—"

Her hand released my arm and two fingers pressed against my lips. "Shh," she lulled. "It's okay, Dimka. There's no need to explain. I understand."

And she did. Empathy was written all over her now and even though the thought of someone feeling even the slightest bit sorry for me would usually frustrate me, I felt calmer knowing that I wouldn't have to voice the reason behind my hesitation to her.

She brought her hand down and I gave her a relieved nod. As I turned to leave she called out to my back. "By the way, I don't think I thanked you."

 _Thanked me_? I couldn't imagine why after basically rejecting her for the second time that evening. "What for?"

"For your concern over my well being," she clarified. "I'm glad my friendship means enough to you to stand up to a Lady as ferocious as I."

"Who says it's because of our friendship," I teased back. "Maybe I just didn't want the Lords of Inferion reigning down on me for the loss of their most beloved family member."

She outright laughed at that and tucked a piece of hair from the longer styled side behind her ear. "Well, we both know they most likely would thank you for ridding them of their burden instead. So your cover has been blown."

I chuckled for the first time in a while and the feeling felt good.

Tasha gave me one more smile before leaning against her bedroom door and I went on my way to inform Guardian Ashford of the new change in plans, somehow feeling lighter than I thought I could.

* * *

 **RPOV**

 **Song: Far From Home (The Raven) by Sam Tinnesz**

"My Lord, I'm not sure if we should discuss this in front of—" Sir Robert looked over to me nervously. Adrian had practically barged into his quarters demanding answers about his failure to inform me of my shadow kissed condition and details on the charmed bracelet.

"Well, as it concerns her well-being I don't see why we wouldn't involve the Princess in our discussion." I hadn't heard him speak so authoritatively before. He was usually either nonchalant, or on the verge of batshit crazy, but his tone with Sir Robert and the way the older Moroi quickly backed down had me noticing for the first time the amount of power Adrian held at his court.

"Very well sir." Robert's brown eyes crinkled at the edges and a relented frown began to form on his worn face. "After I told Lady Daniela about our discovery, we both agreed that putting some sort of charm on the girl would be beneficial. We did not know what kind of state she would be waking to and when she did, we were unsure if she could control the spirits. It would have been detrimental to her health if she awoke to them clouding her mind."

"And the bond? Shouldn't she still be able to access it," Adrian pushed.

"It is a strong charm. It could be affecting the bond slightly, but I wouldn't go as far to say it would completely block it out. That must have something to do with her healing process instead." Sir Robert continued speaking to Adrian, but he turned his unsettling gaze over to me as his voice lowered an octave. "However, I strongly advise not taking off the charm. She has already escaped death once and come close to it again. Who knows what spirits are lying in wait to drag her back to the land of the dead."

Even during our regular sessions, something about Sir Robert always made me feel uneasy. Maybe it was an irrational feeling, or maybe it was his creepy mannerisms and strange looks telling me that there was just something off about this guy. But either way, as he stared directly at me talking about death trying to pull me back into its clutches, an eerie tingle inched up my spine.

Suddenly, a flash of images raced through my mind as those words sank in. A translucent man screaming in pain, a black corridor with no end, a swarm of dark figures surrounding me in a red and white field. My hand shot up to the side of my head as a sharp pain rang through my skull.

"Rose," Adrian worriedly asked as he bolted to my side. "Are you alright?"

"My Lord, maybe it's best we not upset the girl. We should discuss this at another time." Sir Robert said as he took a few steps back.

"I'm fine." I bit through gritted teeth. The pain dulled as I rubbed small circles into my temple, and just as quickly as it rose, it was gone. "I'm fine," I repeated with more certainty.

Adrian looked at me for a moment before giving me a simple nod.

"I want to try taking the bracelet off," I announced to the room.

Sir Robert's eyes widened and shot Adrian a panicked look.

A similar worried look formed on Adrian's face but it was far less frenzied. "I don't know, Rose. It sounds too dangerous right now. Maybe we should wait until you're stronger and we are certain you won't be harmed."

My blood began to heat under my skin as he dared to declare me weak. The look on my face must have been something fierce since a nervous gulp stretched down Adrian's throat as he shifted on his feet.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend you," he explained. "I just mean to say that the risks aren't worth it at this time."

My voice practically rose to a shout out of frustration. "It would be worth it if I could reach out to Lissa!"

"Your life most certainly is not," Adrian clamored back.

I was surprised by the amount of passion behind his tone. It seemed to surprise us both as he straightened out those nonexistent wrinkles on his clothes—a nervous habit I was beginning to recognize—and evened out his voice. "Besides, from what we know the bond only works one way so even if you tried it and succeeded without going mad or becoming completely comatose, you wouldn't even be able to speak to Lissa."

I glared at him and Robert, wishing my eyes could burn holes in their stupid velvet tunics.

"It's true, Your Highness," the older Moroi hesitantly spoke. "You would not be able to communicate with her, only see through her eyes."

I let out a balked growl and pulled at the ends of my hair as I turned to march out of the room. I only managed to make it around one of the corridors before Adrian caught up to me.

"Rose, I'm sorry," he started as he struggled to keep up with my furious pace. "I know you must feel—"

"No!" I abruptly stopped in place and whipped around to face him. "No, you don't know. You couldn't possibly know. I'm stuck here miles from home with no way to contact my sister to see if she's alright or even let her know where I am and on top of that, I constantly feel like an entire part of me is missing. These little meetings with Sir Robert and your occasional visits in dreams aren't doing anything to help. I need real results!"

Adrian's face shifted and his eyes began inspecting the air above me again. Even though his reaction was odd, I realized I may have been responding a little too harshly. None of this was his fault, and if anything he was the only one here actually trying to help. I felt a little remorseful for berating my only ally, but my frustration wasn't so easily soothed.

"I'm tired of not knowing things about myself and relying on others to reveal them for me," I explained slightly more calmly. "Next time you visit me in a Spirit dream, I want you to start helping me get them back. Like you did in the garden."

Adrian peered back down at me with a worrisome look and I could tell he was about to protest.

"Look," I pressed on before he could object, "I know you, Sir Robert, and your mother think it's dangerous, but I have to try something. I need to know what happened to me. I need to know who I am."

He stood there silently for a beat, my appeal sitting idly between us. He was obviously battling with something, his hesitancy to say anything at all making that painfully clear, but eventually, he came to a decision.

"Alright, Rose. I'll work with you as much as I can. However," I didn't like the sound of that, "you have to promise me you won't take off that charm. At least for now. That's my only condition."

As tempting as it was to jump into Lissa's mind and find out exactly what was going on with her and my home, I knew Adrian and Sir Robert had a point. If she was in danger, there was no way I could help her if I was in a perpetual state of unconsciousness…or worse. I looked down at the bracelet and frowned at the plain silver band.

"You could have at least made it prettier to look at."

Adrian let out a warm chuckle, pleased I was agreeing to his reasoning. "Well, unfortunately, Sir Robert doesn't have as fine a taste as I do."

We shared another laugh and began making our way down the hall. The walk back to my room was spent in silence since both of us had plenty to think about and not much else to say. When we reached my door Adrian bid me farewell and I hurried inside before Daniela made her arrival. I was sure Sir Robert would eventually tell her I had come to his quarters at the brink of the Moroi morning, but for now, I was intent to avoid even more scolding than I was already in for.

As I waited for Daniela, I began thinking about Adrian's strange behavior over those past few hours. Granted, his behavior was often classified as strange in my opinion, but there were things I was beginning to notice. Things that were escalating. Where before his eyes would occasionally drift passed me as if he was distracted, lately it was as if they were fixed on something connected to me, but not fully. As if he was trying to decipher a part of me that was hidden...no, shadowed.

But why would he care about my shadow? And for that matter, why did he care about what happened to me at all?

A knock on my door startled me and caused me to jolt up off the carpet—which was apparently what they called the strange fluffy floors around here—leaving my thoughts about Adrian behind...for the time being.

* * *

 **A/N:** Any thoughts on Tasha's more... _salacious_ habits? Ngl I've always head cannoned her as a lesbian or at least bi. During FB I was hoping that Rose was completely misunderstanding her and that Tasha secretly had a crush on our fav heroine instead haha. Unfortunately for me, it didn't quite work out that way. BUT I thought it would be fun to try a new version of her out in this story. SO happy I could finally reveal it and in a way that totally embarrasses Dimitri in the process XD.

Hope you guys enjoyed. As always, thanks for reading!


	34. Chapter 34

**Part 2 Chapter 34**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Amber by 311, Solitude by Black Sabbath**

When a maiden arrived at my room the next day instead of Lady Daniela, I half expected her to tell me that I was once again sequestered to my chambers. However, instead she offered me a small parchment and scurried out.

When I opened the beige paper to find perfectly sculpted handwriting, I realized it was, in fact, a note from Adrian's mom. She explained that she had some business to take care of elsewhere and would not be able to escort me over the next couple of days. I was to make my own way about the grounds and be on my best behavior. She also hinted that eyes would be watching me and she would know when she returned of any mishaps I fell upon.

I couldn't have been happier to discover she wasn't leaving me with some babysitter in the form of a hulking lurker, especially seeing how the last capable hands she left me in turned out to have claws. As I made my way out of my room I distracted myself by mentally plotting all the heinous things I'd do to those three harpies next time I ran into them.

Eventually, I found my way outside walking down a familiar pathway. It was one of the more secluded ones that Daniela tended to avoid, even more so this late in the day. Though the sun would be rising soon, the path was still lit with small tea candles and hanging lanterns so I took the opportunity to venture further down it. The walkway had clusters of vines that snaked their way above me, creating an archway overhead. It seemed to be a familiar theme around the Ivashkov grounds, but since this path was a straight line with a set of stairs on each end, I didn't fear getting lost in another unexpected maze.

"Sewing needles stuck in the soles of their shoes," I mused to myself. "No. Too overdone."

I ran my hands along some of the protruding plants as I continued to walk.

"Leeches in their tub." The thought alone had me snickering into my chin. But then again, a swift kick to the gut was probably just as satisfying.

When I made it down the second set of stairs I heard a faint whooshing sound off in the distance. It was recognizable, yet not.

I quietly moved down the path towards it, more careful of my steps than before. Another sound zipped by in the distance but this time with a dull thud afterward. I could see signs of a clearing up ahead so I ducked down a little to hide myself behind some taller brushes. As two more gusts of air whooshed by I pulled some of the shrubberies aside and peeked through them.

There was a half circle enclosed by more shrubbery and lined with torches and barrels of hay. The flickering light cast a combination of shadows moving from one corner to the next and a soft amber glow across the entire landscape. In the center of the golden ring was Adrian standing there with a bow in hand and a basket of arrows at his feet. I almost didn't recognize him at first. He was more casual than I'd ever seen before, even more so than the first time we met. His plain, ivory sleeves were rolled up past his elbows and his hair was in a disheveled mess. It was always slightly messy, but usually it was in a way that seemed intentional. I briefly wondered why he hadn't bothered with one of those velvet coats or silk vests, but then again I thought this look on him was actually more appealing. More human and less like an oil painting of some lavish fairy tale character.

He reached down and grabbed one of those arrows before bringing it up and locking it in place. I wasn't exactly sure how one was supposed to look when holding a bow, but I imagined it was something just like that. His back was perfectly straight, every muscle from his forearms, shoulders, and waist strategically engaged. There was a fine line of sweat coating his brow and his normally light features were hardened in deep concentration. I wasn't sure why, but the harsh clench of his jaw and heavy stare in his green eyes made him appear almost...alluring. Adrian was a handsome man—very handsome at that—and it was no secret that most of the ladies at their court thought so as well, but until that moment I'd never really considered him in that way before.

As a small breath released from his lips his fingers flexed and the arrow loosed, slicing through the air with impressive speed before sinking directly into its target.

Excitement riled inside me.

I eagerly watched as he bent down to pick up another arrow and could feel my pulse increasing as he locked it in place again.

"Are you just going to lurk over there all night or do you plan on making an appearance eventually," Adrian said without moving his sharp gaze from his intended target.

I'd been caught. As the next arrow launched towards the stack of hay I straightened up, suddenly feeling ridiculous for crouching in the first place.

"I wasn't lurking," I defended as I began making my way towards him. A hidden smile crept over his face as he bent down to grab two more arrows.

"Hmm," he mused as he simultaneously shot the arrows together, "could have fooled me."

They both landed directly into the haystack adjacently and another flash of thrill rolled through me.

"You're pretty good at that."

Adrian's arms came down and he looked at me with mild shock. "Wow. I think that's the first time you've complimented me."

"Well, it's the first time you've been good at something other than sweet talk and drinking."

He let out a small laugh and picked up another arrow. My gaze was immediately drawn to it. At first, it looked simple enough; a slim wooden pole with a sharp point and a notch at the base. But as it turned over in Adrian's hand I noticed the amount of work that went into creating it. The wood had an almost polished finish as if it was whittled to perfection, the tip looked sharp enough to pierce steel, and the fletchings at the end were bright iridescent colors that must have fallen from some kind of exotic bird.

"See something you like?" I looked up to find Adrian regarding me with curiosity.

"It's beautiful," I quietly said as I glanced back down to the arrow in his hand.

"Think so?" Adrian began flipping it over carelessly as if the tip wasn't sharpened to cut through flesh. "I wouldn't say it's my finest work, but it's up there."

"You made these?" I couldn't hold in my fascination even if I tried. It was probably strange for someone to gawk over a weapon as if it were a masterpiece hanging in the great hall, but to me, that's what they were. Works of art.

"Sure did," Adrian spoke proudly. "The bow too."

He shoved it over towards me and I swear if my eyes widened anymore they probably would have disappeared into my forehead. I had to remind my limbs to move as the bow sat there extended between us. I carefully reached for it and slowly turned it over in my hands, examining its craftsmanship as well. This time I was speechless.

I continued running my fingers along the smooth limbs for a few moments before wrapping them tightly around the grip. An involuntary smile crept up my face and it became impossible to hold in a delighted giggle.

"Want to try it?"

My face went white as it shot up to Adrian. He just stared at me expectantly, waiting for me to act like a normal person and respond, but I was dumbfounded.

"C'mon," he latched onto my arm and began pulling me towards the basket of arrows. "It's not as hard as it looks."

"Adrian," I shakily replied. "I don't know if this is such a good idea. Your mother..."

Daniela had been insistent on my forbidden participation in anything even remotely considered violent. Not only was it extremely unladylike, but she and Sir Robert agreed that it could be a trigger and, therefore, harmful to my recovery.

"Yeah, yeah I know. She's got her rules." His hands moved to my shoulders and positioned me in place as he moved behind me. He leaned around my side, tilting his head with an impish grin that stated his obvious flippancy for rules. "But you don't see the magnanimous Lady Daniela here now, do you?"

I glanced around the amber circle, the words in her letter hovering over me like a stalking falcon. I really didn't want to piss her off and lose any privileges I'd somehow gained in her absence. But as my fingers wrapped tighter around the wooden weapon I felt like my arms were coursing with power. In the unlikely event that she did find out, I decided it would be worth it.

"Fuck it."

"That's the spirit," Adrian patted my shoulders and plopped an arrow into my hand. "Now, first rule. Pointy end goes there," he said as he pointed towards the haystack targets. I rolled my eyes and jabbed one of my elbows into his side causing an _umph_ noise to escape him.

Moving my feet apart, I adjusted my position to mirror how he had stood before. The dress I was in was a little constricting, but I made do. I rolled my shoulders back as my arms came up and Adrian reached his arms around me so that his hands made the slightest correction just below my elbows. "Not bad. Not bad at all, Princess."

When he stepped back, I pulled the arrow behind me just the teeniest bit more and took in a deep breath. My eyes narrowed in on a spot just beside his previous shots and I held the air in my lungs for half a beat. I simultaneously let my back fingers loose and the breath out through my mouth. A few pieces of my hair cascaded along my face as the arrow whizzed away from me. I held my position as it soared across the yard until the wooden rod sank directly where I had aimed.

"Well done, Rose!" Adrian actually sounded impressed.

I slowly brought my arms down and glanced at the bow in my left hand. I wasn't sure why, but something about it being there felt so incredibly right. Like a missing limb that was suddenly restored. Waves of pure energy soared through me and I found my breaths coming out heavily. My cheeks hurt from how big my smile had grown and I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt that exhilarated.

Then, without warning a dose of anger crept up inside me as I thought about how Daniela had been keeping that feeling from me. I reached down to grab another arrow and without hesitation, launched it at my target. The arrow sunk into the hay with a satisfying thump and I repeated the motion again.

After three more shots I took a few steps back and adjusted my stance. I turned my bow to the side, crouched down low, aimed as I walked in an angle, each time resulting in a perfect shot. As I picked up the last one in the basket, I pulled the bowstring back with full force feeling like it might crack if I strained it any tighter. When I released it, a sharp whistling noise echoed behind it.

This time, instead of a soft thud there was a slicing crack as my arrow penetrated one of Adrian's first shots and split the arrow down the middle until it sunk into the hay. Any ferocity I was holding on to completely vanished and I dropped the bow before running over towards the target.

Splintering shards hung where the once pristine arrow resided and bits of cerulean feathers airly trickled down to the ground.

"Oh no," I whispered to myself as one of the bright blue feathers fell into my raised hand. _What had I done?_ It started off as just a bit of mischief but as I continued, it grew into something more. I stared at the scene before me and felt terrible for having completely ruined something Adrian had worked so hard on.

I could feel him approach behind me and immediately started to apologize. "Adrian, I'm so sorry. I got carried away I guess. I didn't mean...I'm sorry."

When he reached my side his eyes were fixed on the broken arrow. His hand came up to touch the one I had shot. He didn't look angry, but he wasn't saying anything either. He ran his fingers along the spine of the pole still intact and flicked the end so it bobbed up and down without falling loose.

"Rose, why the hell would you apologize for something like that," he lowly said. "It's incredible."

"What? Really?" After seeing how particular he was about his shirts and jackets, items that were picked and sewn for him, I was mildly shocked that he wasn't going into a frenzy over something he had taken the time to make himself.

"Of course," he turned to me, his voice louder and full of excitement. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that. Not even archers that have been practicing for years. You're amazing!"

I stared at him quietly, still a bit confused by his reaction. He brought a hand up and ran his fingers through his hair as he diverted his focus down to the ground. "I mean, what you did... _it_ was amazing," he corrected with a small nervous laugh.

I don't know why, but anytime he became slightly uncomfortable or even a little bit timid I was instantly amused. Maybe because I thought it was most likely extremely out of character for him after witnessing him around others and the idea that I could rattle him was kind of fun. Regardless, his actions brought a smile back to my face and I found myself laughing as well. "I guess it was pretty badass."

His face rose back up to mine and with a sly grin he said, "Little Dhampir, truer words have never been spoken."

We plucked the scattered arrows from the haystack and threw them all back into his basket. As we continued to clean up the small area we engaged in light conversation; Adrian filling me on where his mother had disappeared to and me letting him know about my freedom to roam the grounds alone...for now.

As we began walking back towards the palace Adrian noted. "So you've obviously participated in archery before."

"I guess," I replied with a shrug. "But I really can't recall. When I saw you shooting, I felt drawn to it as if it was something familiar, but nothing really tangible comes to mind."

He nodded along as he listened to me and I could tell the wheels in his head were turning. Suddenly, I was hit with a stroke of inspiration.

"What if we started with that?!"

"How do you mean," his forehead scrunched as he shifted the basket of arrows on his hip.

"You said you'd help me try to remember things. What if we used this as our first try. I mean it's probably easier to start with something we know I've done before rather than reaching after something random, right?"

"If that were the only reason, then I could just as easily suggest a time you took a bath." His brows wiggled suggestively and my eyes drifted towards that basket of arrows.

"Careful, Ivashkov. I've still got the bow."

"Easy, Little Dhampir. All I'm saying is we both know there's more to it than what you're suggesting. You want to go exactly where Sir Robert warned us not to."

I realized he was trying to caution me and possibly sway me from doing something potentially harmful, but I also noticed that he hadn't said no.

"Maybe, maybe not," I illusively responded. "Either way, are you in or what?"

"You mean right _now_?"

"What, you have something better to do?" I gave him a pointed look, daring him to turn me down.

After one quick glimpse at me, he let out a heavy sigh. "Something tells me that it's very rare for you to not get your way."

/

After we put the weapons away, Adrian lead me to one of the many parlors within the castle. It was small, secluded, and perfect for holding a weird magical seance for lost memories.

"So, how do we do this," I eagerly asked.

Adrian adjusted in his seat until he was in a comfortable position. "I'm not entirely sure really. But let's start with you searching your mind for something we can use, then I'll jump in when you need me."

"Sounds simple enough," I shrugged.

Adrian raised an eyebrow at me then mumbled lowly under his breath, "Easy for you to say."

I turned in my plush chair to face him, signalling that I was ready and his gaze immediately moved up to the space above me. I decided to close my eyes so I wouldn't be distracted by his weird mannerisms. I thought back to the amber clearing, visuals of what I would look like with a bow and arrow in hand hoping that would trigger another similar instance, but my mind came up short. After only a few minutes, my eyebrows started to scrunch in frustration.

"It's not working. I can't picture a single time I shot with a bow before."

"Don't focus on the visual, Rose," Adrian calmly said. "Try focussing on the feeling instead. Start with the bow. How did it feel holding it in your hands."

I imagined myself holding the bow again; my fingers wrapped tightly around the grip and the perfectly balanced weight of it. "Familiar."

"Good. Now hold on to that feeling, but this time add the arrow."

I took in a deep breath, just as I would if I were lining up a shot and pictured my arm pulling the bowstring back until my knuckles pressed against my cheek. I searched for the feeling that coursed through me just before I loosed a shot.

"It felt powerful," I said to Adrian with my eyes still closed and my brow now slightly more relaxed.

"Dive into those feelings. Use them to latch onto another time you felt the exact same way."

I inhaled two more slow breaths and visualized the entire motion again, this time focussing more on the feelings coursing through me with each subtle action. As I pulled that arrow back again, I felt a light warmth surround me and could sense a small dose of Adrian's magic. I held my breath for a moment, latching onto those feelings as I clutched the arrow for one extra moment and sharply exhaled as I released it towards its target in my mind.

This time instead of landing in the soft haystack in the former golden glade, it shot directly into a hard wooden post with a bang.

" _Well done Hathaway," a young boy's voice called out to me._ " _Soon enough you'll be better than any of the other recruits."_

 _I smiled, turning towards a Dhampir boy, his blonde hair shining under the bright sun._

" _Not everyone," a redhead boy called back as he shot his arrow directly above mine. He picked up another and jutted his chin at me. "C'mon. Let's see who can hit it first this time. Eddie, count us down."_

 _I grabbed an arrow from the sling off my back and hurriedly latched it into place and the blonde boy started counting down from three. Right as he hit one, I let the arrow loose and it soared across a dark field this time until it sunk into a scarecrow with black circles painted on it in the distance._

" _Thanks Guardian Hathaway," a middle-aged soldier said as I handed him his bow back. "I get it now."_

" _Just remember," I told him sternly, "a raised elbow helps with your consistency and your power."_

 _He nodded and lined up for a shot as I began walking down the line of several other men. I could see the same redhead Dhampir across the way, several years older now, giving me a friendly wink. I nodded back before picking up a discarded bow and lined up another shot. This time before I released the arrow, the scene changed again._

 _It was still dark, but the smell of fresh blood was in the air and pale, monstrous figures were sprinting around me. There was one creeping up on someone unexpecting in the distance and I pulled the bowstring back even tighter. I didn't bother calling out to the figure to warn them, instead, I sent the arrow flying at the beast encroaching from behind. Right before it hit, I could see the other person's torso turning towards his attacker. My arrow shot through the back of the aggressor's head and out the other side between his eyes. The body collapsed to the ground, revealing to me a pair of familiar brown eyes peering back from across the way._

A sharp pain caused the scene around me to turn to black and my hands shot up to my head. I let out a hiss and gripped my fingers into my hair. My body folded over uncontrollably and I felt two hands wrap around my shoulders.

"Rose," Adrian's voice worriedly exclaimed.

With my mind back in the present, the pain quickly began to dull and I evened out my breathing. "It's okay. I'm okay," I reassured him with my hands rubbing small circles into my head now.

I sat back up and squinted my eyes at him, causing his hands to slowly fall from my shoulders. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry," he glanced at me with a hint of insecurity. "I tried to hold on, but I couldn't any longer. I had to let go."

I blinked a few times, my vision sharpening and the headache now completely gone. It was then I noticed how battered Adrian looked. He still had that worried look to match his tone, but there was a layer of sweat coating his brow and his complexion was completely drained.

"I should have warned you first," he tiredly huffed. "I didn't know it would hurt you so suddenly like that."

I was reminded of how pale and worn he had looked the night before and thought about how exhausted Lissa used to get when she used too much magic, or when...

"Adrian," I cautiously asked. "When's the last time you had blood?"

He flopped back in his seat, letting the exhaustion overtake him and his concern for me fade away. "I don't know," he lackadaisically supplied. "A few days or so."

I jumped up to my feet instantly. "What?! Are you insane? You should have told me before we used that much magic."

"With a bow in your hand? I think not."

I thought about how pushy I had been and internally groaned. "Wait here, I'll go get you some. I think I saw a pitcher in the dining room."

Daniela and Lord Ivashkov usually had a cup of blood with their suppers. Even though it was common knowledge to everyone here what was in the metal pitchers residing on various end tables, the Moroi were still " _polite"_ when it came to drinking in public. They tended to keep their similarities to Strigoi as well hidden as possible; however necessary it was.

"Don't make such a fuss," he wafted at me to sit again, but I remained still. "I don't want that shit anyways."

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared down at him. "So you're what, starving yourself now? That seems productive. Don't you think sickening yourself is taking the whole 'tortured soul' thing you have going for you a little too far?"

"What? No," his laugh came out in a few unsteady beats as he tried to catch his breath. "I just don't like the way those silver goblets taste. They're so cold and impersonal. I prefer something... _fresher_."

 _Impersonal? That was a strange way of putting it._

"Look we're in between rotations," Adrian defended. "We don't like to keep the human feeders here for too long, even though they are here by their own free will. We compel their memories away and send them home after a while. This time it's taking a bit longer for a new bunch to gather, but I've been assured that some interested parties will be arriving tonight."

I held in a shutter at the thought of humans filling the halls with a sole purpose of willingly giving their blood to others. I knew it was natural for Moroi and as he said, they were here on their own volition, but it never fully sat right with me.

"I see." It was the only response I could muster.

As Adrian gripped the sides of his seat and shakily rose to a stand I was reminded of why that conversation had begun in the first place. I hurried to his side and slipped my arm under his.

"If you won't have anything to drink you should let me help you back to your chambers."

Adrian rolled his eyes and tried to shrug my hand off him. "Rose, please. I appreciate the concern, but I assure you I'm perfectly capable of making my way back to my own room. Besides, who says I was going there anyway? I need a glass of wine. Or better yet, a bottle."

He tried taking a step but his knees buckled underneath him. I tightened my grip around his arm and hoisted him up before he fell to the ground.

"Yeah, fine my ass," I bit back as I plopped him back down in his chair. "Just wait here. I'll get you some water."

"Rose, don't be such a tease," he whined.

"Fine, fine," I aggravatedly huffed. "I'll get you a _glass_ of wine too."

"Ahh," he sighed. "She does care."

This time it was my eyes that rolled.

It only took a couple minutes for me to race down to the nearest dining hall and grab what I needed before returning back to the room. Adrian's eyes were closed and his head was hanging heavily in his right hand. He didn't even notice I had returned until I was standing over him again.

He reached for the goblet of wine with a fatigued look on his face, but I thrust the water at him instead. "Water first."

Adrian let out a small grumble and took the cup of water, gluttonously drinking it down. I set the wine on the table next to him as he continued to drink the water and took my original seat. Once he was done he placed the cup down and picked up the wine, but to my surprise he only took a few sips rather than downing the whole thing.

"So," he started, sounding more like himself already, "what did you see?"

I had nearly forgotten about all the memories I had landed in. "I saw my old friends, Mason Ashford and Eddie Castile, then what looked like a training camp, and...and then something I'm not quite sure of."

Adrian sat up straighter in his seat and leaned forward on his elbows as I went into greater detail about each vision. I felt elated as I recalled the first childhood memory with two of my best friends and authoritative during the training session with an older, more experienced Guardian. However, the last memory wasn't nearly as clear and left me feeling...well, confused really.

"There was a moment where I felt slightly protective," I explained. "Almost like I knew the figure I was trying to help and was terrified of harm coming to them, but otherwise, I have no idea why I was there or what was happening around us."

"That explains it," Adrian mused to himself.

"Explains what?"

"Something shifted in the last moments you were concentrating on and it became too difficult for me to help you hold. It was like there was some invisible force blocking us out. I tried to push more magic through but the blockade was too strong and I had to let go."

I didn't know what to think about that. _An invisible force?_ Was it related to what Sir Robert had said about my mind purposedly hiding things from me out of protection, or was it something to do with being shadow kissed? We sat there quietly for a moment as we both pondered over the facts at hand until I was reminded of something that had been irking me since we left Sir Robert's chambers.

"Adrian." He looked up at me wide-eyed. "I need to ask you something and I need you to be completely honest with me."

I didn't necessarily think Adrian had lied to me, yet, but I did sometimes get the feeling that he was hiding parts of the truth for some reason. Whether it was to protect me or because of something else I still wasn't sure of.

"Of course," he replied earnestly.

I leaned towards him slightly and narrowed my gaze so I could clearly read his reaction. "Back at Sir Robert's, he said something about 'our discovery' when he was explaining shadow kissed and the charm bullshit. What did he mean? When exactly did you find out I was shadow kissed?"

I could tell he wanted to look away as if he'd been caught, but with a shaky breath he held on to my gaze. He stared at me then above me, scanning me for something in that way he did. It took everything within me to keep my mouth shut. I wasn't going to say or do anything that would give him an opening to change the subject or somehow convince him that he needed to keep hiding secrets from me. I just remained perfectly still, willing him to answer with my burning stare.

"It was the day we found you," he finally said in a reticent tone. "We were riding in to meet you and Princess Vasilisa. We were expecting a welcoming party as we approached the Valley's borders, but what we saw instead was a battlefield. With all the chaos it was nearly impossible to gauge who had won or lost. The humans appeared to be retreating but the back of their forces, the larger portion, was beginning to form a blockade of sorts around the kingdom's borders. We saw an opening on one of the far sides near the treeline so our party headed towards it. We thought if we could make it through before the humans completely closed in we could still get inside. But what we found in that valley altered our course."

"What? What did you find?" I asked with complete enamor.

Adrian's green eyes darkened a shade as his face moved closer towards mine, his voice changing from secretive to captivated. "You."

I swallowed nervously at Adrian's close proximity to me. He, however, seemed completely unbothered by it as his eyes continued to skim over my face.

"Well, more specifically a mass of bodies," he continued. "Strigoi and Dhampir, but of all the rest the one that stood out the most was you. I wasn't sure who you were at first glance. All I knew was there was one last Strigoi hovering above you with a sword in hand, so I launched an arrow at him to stop him from bringing it down. When he fell, Sir Robert insisted that we turn back, but something told me to wait. Something was pulling me towards you."

Adrian's hand reached up to lightly stroke the line of my jaw and my eyes flicked across the planes of his face. This was the closest we had ever been and I used the opportunity to admire each feature, from his sharp jawline and soft brow to the perfect curve of his lips. Each feature perfectly crafted in way that drew me in.

"The snow around you was coated in red, the wound in your back darkening it more and more by the second." The conversation was dark and haunting, notably so since what he was saying was about me. But the way his serene voice rolled through each detail, I could feel my heart rate speeding up for other unknown reasons. "I could see in your aura that you were fading fast, barely holding on, but you were trying. With everything in you, you were fighting to stay alive. In that moment with you lying there battered and beaten...you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."

My eyes darted back up to his and something in those emerald gemstones sparked. I thought maybe he had drifted to one of those far off moments where he seemed to be unaware of what he was saying or doing, but the look in his eyes was perfectly clear, untarnished by any sort of mystical haze. It was shocking for someone like Adrian to call me beautiful. Technically, I was a Princess by right but I was still a Dhampir. Adrian was a royal Moroi with the opportunity to court any Lady he so chose and many Moroi in his kingdom, his mother being one, had made it clear that should be with someone of superior status. Someone Moroi, like them. And yet, there he was confessing it aloud—in probably what was one of the most gruesome moments of my entire life.

A shiver ran up my back, causing my shoulders to shake. Adrian immediately dropped his hand from my cheek and moved back a bit so we were no longer inches from one another.

"I used Spirit magic to partially seal your wound," he pressed on. "But it wasn't enough to completely heal you. I'm not as accomplished in that area as other users, unfortunately, and Sir Robert forced me to hold back, not wanting me to exert my limits. I would have used every last bit I had within me if I could, Rose. But our journey had been over a week and we were limited on...supplies." It wasn't hard to guess he meant blood, but he was being delicate about it to pacify me.

"Even with the healing that I performed you still didn't wake up so I scanned your aura again to get a better look." It was the second time now he had used that word.

"What's is that? An aura you said," I interrupted.

"It's an emanation surrounding the body of a living creature and provides specific information related to the essence of what or who that creature is," he explained as he moved his hand around me in a circular motion. "Splashes of colors reveal different things I can interpret."

"And all Moroi can see these, these auras?"

"No, not all. But most Spirit users. I like to think of myself as a master interpreter, if you will." An assured grin formed at the corner of his lips.

"Yours is full of bright colors, but they are constantly surrounded by a ring of darkness. It's how I can tell that you are shadow kissed and is what made me realize you weren't just any Dhampir warrior, but the Princess."

Hearing him call me a Dhampir warrior stirred something inside me. That authority and power I had felt in my memories rushed through me and for a moment I felt like I could take on anything that stood in my way.

"The humans began getting closer and with you amongst the fallen, we couldn't be sure what the status of the kingdom was anymore. We decided that the safest thing to do was take you back with us. If we tried to go forward into the castle we feared we'd either be intercepted by surviving Strigoi from the skirmish or humans waiting inside."

I tried not to let the information overwhelm me as Adrian became silent again. From what I could tell, the Ivashkovs had no true ties to St. Vlad's. Yes, they were on their way to meet with us, but after witnessing what they had they could have just as easily left me behind. If what he was saying was true, then I was as good as dead anyway.

"So what you're saying is, not only were you there, but you...you saved me." Adrian tried to look away again with that same abashment I had seen earlier, but this time I didn't let him. I reached out and latched onto his hand, causing his focus to align with mine as I repeated, "You saved me."

He nodded, finally acknowledging it but still looking slightly insecure. I moved towards him, his eyes widening the closer I got. I tilted my head to lightly press my lips against his cheek, his light stubble tickling me as I turned to whisper, "Thank you."

When I pulled back, for some reason I didn't settle into my seat but remained inches from his face instead. Those deep green eyes slowly trailed along my face, lingering on my lips that had just been pressed against him. I thought for a moment he might try to kiss me, but after a heated glance his mouth contorted into one of his clever grins.

Adrian lazily fell back into his chair and with a playful tone replied, "Anything for you, Little Dhampir."

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey there! Sorry for the day delay. All this info was originally going to be in two chapters, but I didn't feel like making y'all wait another week for the second half. So I spent the extra time making it a super long chapter. Sorry if it ran on or was an overflow of info, but it's time for Rose to get the inside scoop of what the heck she's doing there.

*Disclaimer: For those of you getting worried I am team Romitri all the way. But I'm also team angst and will be setting this story up for plenty of that ;)

Thanks for reading!


	35. Chapter 35

**Part 2 Chapter 35**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Tumbleweed by Puscifer, Mama's Gonna Give You Love by Emily Wells**

The smell of fresh morning dew filled my nose with each breath I took. The beat of my heart drummed in synchronization with the sounds of my feet pounding against the earth. I knew the trail so well, I could have closed my eyes if I wished. But I didn't dare. The scene around me was so serene I sometimes wished I didn't have to blink.

I could feel a deep burn creeping up my legs, but rather than succumb to it I reveled in it, pushing harder, faster as I raced through the trees. Every color green you could imagine coated the entirety of the woods. The pale viridian moss clung to rocks and tree sides, dark emerald leaves hung lowly from heavy branches, rows of juniper vines climbed up towering trunks. Green, green, green, all around me. A shade that welcomed me home. A tone that brought me peace.

Suddenly, a new palette was introduced. One instant it was beside me in a flash, the next it was behind me in a faded blur. Grays, whites, and silvers whipped around me as I ran. It resembled some kind of fog, but the way it moved...it was almost as if it was alive. As if it was following me.

I dug my heels into the soft ground, coming to an abrupt stop. I had hoped the gray mass would go past me and leave me back to my green serenity, but instead, it halted right in front of me, blocking my path. Now that we were no longer moving, the silver cloud began to crystallize, it's distinct features sharpening as the seconds passed.

As my eyes narrowed and the form shifted, I realized it wasn't fog. In fact, it was nothing nimbus at all. Standing before me was a giant gray wolf.

I should have been terrified. A wolf on its own was a dangerous adversary, but one this unnaturally large was nothing short of lethal. However, as it took a step towards me I didn't attempt to flee. When it took another I should have rattled with fear but instead, I felt comfortable. As if I knew this beast wouldn't harm me.

The next step it made, I mirrored and moved closer to it. I reached my arm up, daring to touch the back of its neck, but when my hand came down to make contact with the silver and white fur, it passed through. As if the wolf was made of smoke.

I tried again, but before I could reach it, the wolf became a swirl of muted grays falling into the background once again. I looked up at the trees realizing the wolf wasn't the only thing changing around me. Patterns and colors shifted and churned to the point I started to feel dizzy. I closed my eyes as flashes of lights crashed against my lids, squeezing them shut until I could feel the world around me still.

I glanced around to see the familiar garden that Adrian often pulled me into during his Spirit dreams. Normally, I would have been a little miffed about him interrupting a dream like the one I had been having, but it had been a few days since I'd last seen him and I was, admittedly, beginning to worry about his state.

I made my way towards the perch we normally met at and was pleased to find him standing there looking leagues better than he had in the parlor. He gave me a welcoming smile as I climbed up the steps.

"Well, someone is looking hearty. Unless this is some elaborate veil you've created and you're actually wasting away in your bedroom."

Adrian lifted his chin proudly and gestured down his body with his hand. "Why would anyone waste their energy on veiling such perfection?"

I shook my head lightheartedly, glad to hear he was back to his old self.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you," he said with more seriousness but a friendly smile still clinging to his expression. "I wanted to check in and see how you were after our last talk. I hope your dream wasn't too exciting."

"I was dreaming of the forest back home. I used to run through it when the kingdom was still asleep."

"Running," he asked speculatively. "Running through the woods? That's what your imagination cooks up when I'm not here to steal you away?"

"Not just any woods," I defended. "The Emerald Pines. You remind me of it actually."

"I remind you of a forest?"

"Your eyes," I clarified as I moved closer and reached a hand up towards his face. "They're the same color green."

I started into them, soaking up that deep emerald color that somehow made me feel so close to home, even when I was miles and miles away. The beaming sun amplified their hue and I was grateful that Adrian always made it daylight in our visits. It was just another thing about this place that made me so comfortable around him.

"Ehem, yes well," there was a nervous hint to his joking tone, "I have heard they are one of my more dignifying characteristics."

I dropped my hand and flashed him a playful smirk. "Dignifying huh? It's that what they are calling it these days?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Princess." Adrian's mock naivety was laughable.

"Oh pleeease, Ivashkov. Just because I'm new here, doesn't mean I don't hear all the little birds whispering about you. They all think you're...what was the phrase," I rubbed my chin as I feigned contemplation. "Oh yes, 'royal stud', 'chastity slayer', and my personal favorite 'hot enough to eat a fried egg off of'."

"Okay, that last one was definitely made up."

"Hey, I call it like I hear it. I don't hold back when it comes to being candid on _hot_ issues."

"And you would know all about those, wouldn't you," he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Absolutely," I said with full confidence as I flipped my thick waves over my shoulder. There was no point in playing coy or denying the obvious. I was aware of my good looks, and proud of them.

I caught a spark in his eyes as they followed the path of my hair back to my sly grin. There was still that luring playfulness that we had been throwing back and forth, but underneath I could see something more. Something lustful. It reminded me of the brief moment in the parlor where I thought he might kiss me, and a small tingle crept up the bottom of my spine.

That's when I realized, it had been a while that I'd flirted with a man, and flirting with Adrian was quickly becoming something I liked.

I began slowly walking in a circle around him, letting my hand lightly drag across his chest as I positioned myself behind his back. "In fact, I'd say it's my specialty."

"Hmm, that may be true," Adrian replied allusively. "But we both know who the real master is."

"Oh really?" I hopped over to his side with my arms crossed over my chest. "And how is that so?"

"Well, for starters I'm much better at pinpointing another's weakness. In fact, I knew yours right from the start."

"You did," I asked anxiously, momentarily freezing in place. I wasn't sure what he could possibly think my weakness was, but all I knew is I didn't like anyone coming remotely close. Especially, when I was unsure of it as well.

"Uh huh," he nodded moving a bit closer. "I'd say it's right below your third rib on the left side."

"What?" Before the confusion of what he had just said could even sink in, Adrian's hands shot out and grabbed me by the waist. His fingers scrunched against me causing my whole body to shake uncontrollably with laughter. I tried to push him away, but his tickling had me in an inescapable hold.

I cried out for him to stop as tears began pricking my eyes and he finally released me from his torturous game. My laughter slowly started to die down as I inhaled deep breaths between giggles and clasped my hands over his shoulders to straighten up. When I looked forward I was met with his chest, still bumping with amused chuckles and I became suddenly aware I was still in his arms.

He was so close, all I had to do was breath and our bodies would be touching. Even though we were dreaming, everything about that moment felt so real. I could feel his breath brush by my cheek, could smell the hints of lavender and bourbon seeping off his collar, could feel his warmth pulling me towards him. I looked up to see his laughter had gone still and his gaze ardently waiting for mine.

"If I kissed you now, would I remember it when I wake up?"

A small gulp moved down Adrian's throat before he quietly said, "I don't know about you, but that's something I don't think I would ever be able to forget."

Anticipation fluttered in my lower abdomen and I could feel myself start to rise off my heels. The ground below me harshly shook, sending my feet flat again. My head whipped to the side to see the garden start to rapidly disappear and before I turned back to Adrian, he was gone as well.

My eyes snapped open and my body shot up. I immediately flung the covers away from me and hopped off the bed, scurrying across the room. I grabbed onto the robe hanging neatly on the armoire door and flung it over my shoulders as I raced out the bedroom. My feet pounded down the hall as fast as they had during my dream of the forest. I skidded to a halt as I reached my destination and raised my hand to knock on the tall oak door. Before my knuckles made contact, the wooden structure flung open sending a quick gust of air into my loose curls.

Adrian stood a good five feet from the door and I wondered how he had managed to open it without his hands. His eyes were wide and his clothes were a tangled mess, as if he'd put as much effort into throwing them on as I had. I stared at him for a heated moment, our chests simultaneously heaving with anticipation and excitement. Whether it was a dream or not, I could see plain as day that his feelings in this world were just as real as they were in the other.

I marched across his room and practically crashed against him as I reached up to his neck and pulled his lips down to mine. One might expect a first kiss to be a brief introduction to what was to come. Most likely somewhat shy and predominantly sweet. But even without all of my memories, I knew that wasn't me—and I was determined to show him.

I didn't wait for him to politely ask my permission or offer me the control. I took it. There was nothing innocent or teasing about it in a way that would keep us guessing what we were doing, it was hot, fiery, passionate and above all...demanding.

I was pleased to find that Adrian wasn't stunned still by my assertiveness or one of those disappointing men who talked a lot of game only to bore you in the end. No, there was nothing disappointing about him. His mouth immediately reacted and parted our lips to deepen the kiss even more. An involuntary moan escaped me as he moved his hands to my waist and pulled me impossibly closer. A faint warmth spread across me as his lips and body moved against mine, reminding me a bit of how his magic felt.

When we broke apart for air, I rested my forehead against his and inhaled two heavy breaths. His smirk told me everything he was thinking and I smiled back, sinking into his hold. The kiss had only lasted a few short moments, but with the rest of our world still asleep I felt like we had ignited something that would wake the entire kingdom.

"How did you know where my room was," Adrian breathed out.

"Aw c'mon Ivashkov," I playfully said as I began to move away. "I can't go giving out all my secrets."

When I backed up two more steps—his fingertips the only thing still latching on to me—he breathily said, "Hey, where are you going?"

I snaked out of his grasp, making my way towards the still open door. "I have to go. Your mother will be back today and if she finds out I was running around in nothing but a nightgown and a robe, she'd probably faint from shock."

Adrian let out an easy laugh as he ran his hand through his tawny hair. "Well, then Little Dhampir I guess I'll see you in your dreams."

That sexy smirk made my knees feel like jam as I made it to the hall and I found myself gripping the wooden frame to keep myself from launching at him again. "Hopefully you won't make me wait that long."

Before he could say anything else that might convince me to stay, I shot down the hall back towards my room, a grin the size of a half moon plastered across my cheeks.

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: Old Man by Neil Young**

It had been a few days since Tasha's party left, and with everything hanging up in the air until we received word, most of our efforts were now dedicated to planning the Princess' coronation. She had done an outstanding job of mulifying the people during this trying time. We hadn't told them exactly how, for fear of our plans leaking into the wrong hands, but they at least knew that we had managed to make contact with our allies and support would be on its way.

Even with only the bare minimum information, the people trusted her word and it was easy to tell how much she was respected and loved.

Vasilisa decided to enlist Lady Dashkov in helping her with the more elaborate plans now that Tasha was gone. The young Moroi had been mostly wandering around aimlessly since the attack and worried over her father's state, but her new responsibilities seemed to be a welcomed distraction.

Naturally, I continued overseeing all the security that would be required for the event and although I could tell some of the men thought I was going overboard, I couldn't help but rerun every possible scenario. After my talk with Guardian Hathaway, something had been nagging at the back of my mind. That there was a piece of all of this that I wasn't seeing. Rose had been adamant about the íonachta possibly making a move, and after what we saw in the woods then again in the field, I wasn't taking any chances.

I walked through the grand hall to make my usual inspections and began instructing one of the guards on designated exits to cover when we were interrupted.

"Excuse me High Constable, Sir." A young Guardian apprehensively addressed. I nodded letting him know it was alright to continue and his eyes flicked to the other Dhampir beside me. "I—I'm sorry to interrupt, but there is, uh _something_ that needs your immediate _attention_."

I could tell he was trying to hint that what he needed to speak to me about needed to be in private, but his discretion was completely nonexistent. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my colleague grinning at the nervous young lad. I turned to him and gave him a small pat on the shoulder, signaling for him to take off. "Thanks, McDonagh. If you have any questions get with Guardian Ashford."

"Sure thing," He nodded and looked down at the jumpy Guardian as he made his way by.

Once he was out of earshot I asked the boy, "Alright, what is it I can do for you?"

"P-please Sir. I need you to come with me," he stammered.

"Come with you where," I asked speculatively, not liking how unnerved this Dhampir was becoming.

"It's Lord Dashkov," he continued. "He has requested Princess Vasilisa's presence. I've been stationed as one of the guards on duty at his rooms. You see, he's not well. At first, we thought he was just mourning the loss of his ward, but recently he's been getting worse. There are days where he is extremely ill and others where he seems almost normal. I fear the Princess would be safer with you by her side."

"Safer? Are you saying that he's been violent?"

"No, not necessarily," the boy shook his head and glanced nervously around the room. "But lately he's been saying things that don't make sense. Things that couldn't possibly hold any true meaning."

I realized then that the boy wasn't skittish because he was speaking to a commanding officer or interrupting a senior Guardian on shift, but because he was doing this unknowing to Victor, his Lord, a member of a family he had sworn to serve and protect.

If he felt strongly enough to come to me directly with this information, then I trusted that his unease was most likely warranted. "When is she meeting with him?"

"Any moment now," the boy began moving away, gesturing for me to follow. "We should hurry."

When we reached Victor's royal chambers it appeared we had arrived just in time.

"Ah, Dimitri," Vasilisa warmly greeted in the hall. "I just got word that Victor was finally feeling up for visitors. It's so good of you to come along."

I didn't bother telling her what I had just learned from the boy for want of discovering it for myself before worrying the Moroi girl. "Of course, Princess," was my only reply.

She gave me a smile and hooked her arm around mine before making our way to the door. I could tell she was excited to see her uncle and silently prayed that the young Dhampir had been exaggerating.

As we entered the room, I could smell the remnants of cloves, coriander, and frankincense; a clear sign that a healer had been by. Victor's quarters were by far the largest I'd seen at the castle. We walked through two full-sized rooms before entering his master chambers. Inside were several pieces of ornate furniture surrounding the massive bed along with a few lounge seats at the foot. Victor's bed was unmade, suggesting that he had only risen for this meeting, but he was seated at one of the chairs patiently waiting.

"Ah Vasilisa, my dear. And Guardian Belikov," he added with a bit of surprise. "I'm pleased to see you join us as well."

The Princess rushed forward, enveloping him in a warm embrace as I stood behind, carefully observing him. His mouth arched into a small smile as Vasilisa carefully wrapped her arms around him and I could see more wrinkles at the edges of his face than before. There were dark circles hanging under his eyes, and several age spots dusting over his hands and neck. His complexion was relatively normal, just the faintest bit paler, but I could also smell hints of lingering blood coming from one of the pitchers on the table, suggesting he had just fed.

"Victor, I'm so glad to see you." Vasilisa pulled back, her jade eyes scanning his face worriedly. "Are you well, uncle? Is there anything I can get you?"

The older Moroi gently patted her shoulder and looked to the chair beside him. "Please, sit."

It didn't escape my notice that he evaded her question, and by the look on the Princess' face, it hadn't gone past her either. Once she was seated he turned his attention over towards me.

"Guardian Belikov, please join us as well." Despite his initial shock, his request seemed much more genuine now. I walked over towards them but decided to remain standing, taking up a position behind Vasilisa's chair. My behavior resembled more of a near guard's typical role than a High Constable, but it didn't seem to bother Victor. In fact, he almost seemed comforted by it.

"First off, let me start by saying how truly sorry I am for my absence these past few weeks. I never wanted to put so much burden on you, especially during times such as these, but unfortunately, I have been unwell."

"Victor, please," Vasilisa cut in, her hand darting out to cup his. "You have been there for me my entire life, even more so after my parents and Andre passed. That is a debt I will never be able to repay. It's about time I stop leaning on you so much and take responsibility for myself. It's my duty and I'm happy to do it."

Admiration and pride lit up Victor's features as he gazed at the young woman before him. "I am so proud of you, my dear." He paused a brief moment, his eyes somewhat glassing over as he said, "You've grown up so much these past few years, Rhea."

It was strange. In the brief time I had gotten to know Victor, he was always extremely sharp and intuitive, but in that moment there was something about him that seemed unbalanced. Vasilisa's brow slightly scrunched as he continued to stare at her in an almost hypnotized way.

"Victor," she softly questioned.

Lord Dashkov seemed to snap out of his haze and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. Lissa." He turned away to reach for a cup of tea and took a sip before adding, "You just remind me of your mother so much at times."

When he placed the cup back down, it visibly shook in his hand and a bit of the liquid spilled onto the surface of the table.

"Uncle, are you sure there's nothing I can get you," Vasilisa stressed. "I'd be happy to send one of your guards out if you need anything."

Victor let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in his chair tiredly. "I'm afraid their efforts would be wasted on me. The chirurgeons have already come and gone."

I was surprised that he had gone to such lengths as to involve the services of more than just herbal healers.

"Is it that serious," Vasilisa anxiously asked.

He looked up at her again, his exhaustion becoming more discernible by the moment. "Unfortunately, yes. It's why I asked you to come. Apparently, my Sandovsky's has returned."

This was a great shock. Moroi had very strong immune systems and rarely needed any type of treatment for disease. There were only a rare few that truly affected them. Sandovsky's being one.

"I've been managing it for some time now," he continued, "but recently it has gotten worse. I didn't want to bother you with it before, but now it seems that it is affecting my health to the point I am unable to bridle it."

Tears began to swell up in Vasilisa's eyes. I could only imagine the emotions running through her. She had already lost so many people close to her, and now she was at risk of losing Victor as well.

"Have the chirurgeons offered any methods of treatment? Any new discoveries," I calmly asked.

Victor's eyes shot up as if just remembering I was still there. "It has been a bit of trial and error so far." Light sniffles came from the Princess and Victor leaned forward to place a hand on her shoulder. "But don't worry yourself. I'm not giving up. I'm sure there is something out there that can help. We just have to find it."

Vasilisa nodded her head and wiped away her tears in an effort to be strong for her uncle.

"Now tell me, what news of our allies? I have heard tidbits here and there from the Guardians, but I prefer to hear it straight from the two of you if you don't mind."

"Of course," the Princess enthusiastically replied.

We stayed with Victor for the better part of an hour until he grew weary and needed rest. Vasilisa managed to fill him in on our progress with making outside contact as well as her upcoming coronation. Even though I could tell his strength was slowly fading, his pride in his niece outshined any signs of defeat the sickness threatened to bring about.

When we left, Vasilisa was still troubled by the news but she expressed her hope that Victor could make a recovery. I pondered over what the Dhampir boy had said. Overall, Victor didn't show nearly as serious of symptoms as I had expected. However, with the amount of herbs in the room and the signs of fresh feeding, it was possible this was just him at his best. Thinking back to the troubled guard and that brief moment where Victor seemed lost in his own mind, I wondered what state he was truly hiding.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know it's not the fluff most of you have been hoping for, but it's been a while since we had any at all ;). I had to do a little bit of research for this one so if anyone is interested in what some of the healing herbs were used for in this time period, here ya go:

Cloves - painkiller

Coriander - to deter fever

Frankincense - used in medicine


	36. Chapter 36

**Part 2 Chapter 36**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones, Madness by Ruelle, Thrills by Donna Missal**

I had another dream about Lissa. Images were still a blur and nothing really made sense, but I could feel her.

There was something weighing on her. Something making her sad. I could tell she was trying her best to hide it from others she interacted with, especially the brown-eyed mystery person, but it was there. In these dreams, I tried my best to focus on Lissa and what she was feeling so I could maybe, just _maybe_ get a hint of what was going on but for some reason, my thoughts were often drawn to that other pair of eyes. At first, it was just genuine curiosity.

Who did they belong to?

Why were they so often near Lissa?

But the more I saw them, the more I began to search for what was behind them. Most of the time they gave nothing away, but every once in a while I'd catch the smallest glimpse of emotion. Worry, heedfulness, loyalty, but above all else...pain.

I couldn't understand what was causing it and if Lissa even knew, but the lingering vision of those brown orbs often left me distracted. So much so, that I hadn't realized how far I had wandered until I found myself bumping into another body.

"Pardon me," I said distractedly as I continued staring off into nothing.

"It's no bother," a deep voice replied. I nodded and continued down the hall until the man called out to me. "It appears something has you distracted."

Finally noticing the strangeness of his voice I turned around to get a look at him. I realized this wasn't some regular old Ivashkov roaming the halls searching for an opportunity to socialize. He was someone I had never seen before, and thanks to Daniela, I had seen practically everyone who lived there.

"Yes," I vaguely responded as I observed him, trying to see if there was anything recognizable that could pinpoint who he was. He was Moroi, that was for certain, but his complexion was slightly darker than the others in the Western Isles. Almost like a human man with a tan who was feeling under the weather. And after giving him a once over, it was easy to see that his accent wasn't the only thing that was strange.

His clothes, although extremely expensive and posh looking, were unlike any I had seen around these parts...or any. Rather than the usual heavy velvets and decadent silks, the stranger's clothes were obviously meant for a much warmer climate. His bright orange tunic and gray overcoat were both made of linen, the edges of it lined with gold stitched paisleys and ornamental symbols to match a fully decorated vest peeking out were complemented with pants made from a shiny material that I couldn't place and boots that had laces going up the front almost reaching his knees. I'd say he looked more like some kind of pirate rather than a rich Moroi.

A snakey smile of glaring white teeth peeked out from behind his dark beard as he said, "You should be careful. Distractions oftentimes lead us along dangerous paths."

I let out a scoff and crossed my arms over my chest. "Is that your illusive way of trying to tell me you're dangerous?"

"Depends who's asking, Miss..?" He took a few steps towards me and I could see a glint of gold hanging from one of his earlobes.

"Hathaway," I replied, still not moving from my guarded stance.

"Ah, what a lovely name," he dipped his head in a short bow, keeping his eyes fixed on my face. "Not one that is heard often in the Western Isles."

The stranger seemed to enjoy speaking in riddles rather than flat out saying what he was thinking—so I did it for him. "But you _have_ heard it? My name that is."

"I've met many people over the years," he stood up tall, running a hand along the edges of his neatly trimmed beard. "I'm sure there was at least one Hathaway who had the pleasure of making my acquaintance."

I let out a humorless laugh and moved my hands to my hips. "Well excuse me if I'm not as equally enthralled as the others, Mister..?"

His dark eyes lit up with amusement and for a split second, I thought there was something familiar about them.

"Ah but that is half the allure, Miss Hathaway. Without the mystery, where's the excitement?"

Before I could form some kind of sarcastic response to rival his, a tall Guardian walked up behind him and discreetly whispered something into his ear. Whatever was said quickly caused the amused grin on the stranger's face to dull and a dark expression to take over. I had to admit, even though I knew close to nothing about the man, there was something about that look that gave me the feeling he wasn't entirely kidding about being dangerous.

He gave a sharp nod and seriously replied, "Thank you, Pavel," before turning his attention back to me. "Well, I must say it was a pleasure meeting you. I do hope we run into each other again."

Without another word, he whipped around causing the light from the lanterns to reflect off the gold patterns of his clothes almost blindingly. I watched him and his henchman sleek down the hall curiously before turning and heading out into the gardens.

The strange encounter should have been enough to pull me from my distractions, but as soon as I made it outside my thoughts became consumed by Lissa. Feelings of worry and panic seemed to course through her and I found myself desperately wishing there was a way for me to take her anxiety away. My brow scrunched in frustration as I focused on those troubling emotions willing myself to try and pull myself into her mind. I hoped that if I tried hard enough I could somehow enter her mind as Adrian had explained she could with me, however, something else happened.

Rather than pushing myself into her, I felt like I was pulling her into me. All those bad feelings began slowly leaching out of her, leaving behind a sense of calm and comfort. After a brief moment, I could sense that her mood had drastically changed and a wave of exhilaration coursed through me as I considered the fact that I had somehow eased her discontent. However, not a minute later a much darker feeling filled my insides. It felt like her earlier worried thoughts were surrounding me in a dark cloud, hovering up above in idle anxiety before plunging deep into my stomach to form a nauseating pit.

I felt miserable.

I quickened my pace, trying to find my way back to the palace to get some water, but my next step sent me careening to the ground. I thought I had tripped over a loose rock, another clumsy mistake in my distracted state. I let out an agitated groan as I thought about the dangerous path the strange man had mentioned, but when I craned my head over my shoulder to inspect what I had stumbled on I realized the fault hadn't been entirely mine.

There was a dark vine tightly wrapped around my left ankle with the other end leading towards a nearby shrub. High-pitched giggles began to fill the air, only solidifying my assumption as three shadows formed on the path around me.

I quickly sat up and yanked the vine from my leg, thorns piercing my skin in the process. A few droplets of blood dripped onto a growing white rose at the end of the vine as I stood up to face my favorite trio.

"Seriously, a rosebush? Real original."

Lana whipped her silver hair over her shoulder in a way that I'm sure she thought was attractive, but really just came off as desperate for attention. Her conceited attitude and the way the other two continued to chortle behind her gave her ability away.

"I'm assuming _you're_ the earth user then?"

The waify Moroi cocked a half-grin and raised her hand in the air as if presenting herself. "Indeed."

"Good," I gritted through my teeth. "I've been hoping one of you would give me an excuse to bash your pretty little teeth in." I took a step towards them, causing Lana to flinch, but before I could reach her stringy neck waves of frozen wind rushed down my throat.

My hands shot up to my neck as I gasped for oxygen, but my attempts were useless against the icy gusts. I looked over to the girls again to see Gwyneth and Iris using a combination of water and air to assail me. My eyes began to water as the burning wind continued plummeting down my throat. I tried to back away, but the weight of their magic caused me to fall to my knees as I continued choking on thin ice. My lips began to crack and my eyes drifted shut as one of my hands abandoned my throat and clutched the ground. Blackness began to close in around my vision and I was certain I would pass out.

Suddenly, the raging blasts stopped and my body immediately began heaving and hacking as I tried to recover. Their giggles escalated into cackles as I tried not to vomit in the middle of the path.

I could see their shadows creeping towards me along the ground but I still couldn't lift my head up to look them in the eye.

"Stupid Dhampir harlot. Did you really think your salacious actions would go unnoticed," Iris jabbed.

Confusion began to rise, but I still couldn't control my breathing enough to form a proper sentence.

"I think it's about time we showed you your place," Lana added as she moved to my left.

Gwyneth moved to my right and flung the ends of her skirt behind her as if even her fabric coming in contact me was an insult. "If you ask me, I'd say it's long overdue."

I took a few deep inhales through my nose, the air burning slightly less as it entered my lungs. I was no longer dry heaving but still felt like my stomach was doing backflips. However, the more they spoke, the more I could feel myself begin to change. The nausea I felt from their barrage somehow amplified the dark pit that had already formed within me and rather than the anxiety and distress I had felt earlier, all I felt was rage.

"You're nothing," Iris sneered from above me, my long hair hiding the incensed expression forming on my face. "No matter what title or name that worthless king gave you, you'll never be anything more than what you are in this very moment. A pathetic, broken bitch whose true place is in the dirt on her knees."

With those biting words, something inside me snapped. It was so palpable I could've sworn I heard the cracking sound. I whipped one of my legs out to the side and jammed my foot directly into Lana's ankle. She shrieked in a combination of shock and pain as she fell hard to the ground landing directly onto her boney hip. The fragile Moroi rolled to her side, wailing as one hand reached to clutch her now bent ankle and the other wrapping around her hip.

My face shot to Gwyneth to my right and the shocked expression she wore quickly began to morph into something that suggested she was more concerned with self-preservation than her friend. Her hands began to lift from her sides and I could sense she was going to try and use her magic against me again, but I didn't give her the chance. It was like my body was taken over by some outside force, manipulating my limbs to react with deadly speed.

I lept off the ground and latched on to her wrist, simultaneously yanking it down as I rose to stand. Her body quickly followed out of instinct as her shoulder dislocated and I used the momentum to completely flip her over. Gwyneth landed beside her friend on the flat of her back, gasping for air as I had just been moments ago.

Without hesitation I charged at Iris, the fiery redhead backing away in attempted flight. I could feel dark anger wrapping around me, driving me forward as I bounded at her and pulled the dagger out of its hiding place under my dress. I pounced on top of her, refusing to let her get away and thrust the blade against her throat.

But despite my obvious conquer over her, she refused to back down.

"What are you doing you crazy bitch?!" She tried to wiggle out of my hold, her feet kicking below me and her hands trying to claw at my sides, so I pressed the cool metal harder against her throat and latched onto one of her arms. I twisted it harshly until I heard a snap, and continued to put pressure on it despite her cries of protest.

"Who's broken now?" I moved my face closer allowing my threat to sink in and daring her to move again.

Tears flooded her pretty face and a wicked grin inched across my teeth.

"You-you can't. You won't!" Her eyes flicked down to the knife at her throat then back up to my face, the panic in her voice betraying her feeble claims.

"Oh I can, little dove," I dropped my voice to an eerily calm tone causing her pulse to quicken. "But where would the fun in that be?"

I slowly moved the knife from her throat to reveal an angry pink line where it had been resting, but kept the cool metal in contact with her skin as it made its way up to her right eye.

For the first time since meeting her, there was a striking look in her grey eyes that required no interpretation. It was an emotion I realized I was all too familiar with and had seen in others within my grasp before. Fear.

I couldn't remember exactly when or how I had caused that look to arise, but I knew for certain that I had caused it and the thought alone was enough to slide me out of whatever dark haze I had fallen into. I began to move the knife away slowly starting to calm, but Iris didn't seem to notice. Tears were gushing out of her now and her chest was heaving with frenzied breaths.

"You Dhampir beast," she cried out. I thought she may have resorted to begging or at least a simple 'please no' to keep me from gouging out her eye, but it looked like she would stay true to her wicked, insulting self to the end. Her cheeks reddened and spit flung from her mouth as she dramatically shouted, "You have no right to Adrian. His family should have never agreed to a marriage with you. It should have been me!"

"What did you just say?" I leaned back giving the both of us more room to breath and trying not to let the shock of her words overtake me. Regardless, whatever lingering rage I had been using to lash at her was now completely gone at the sudden realization of what she was suggesting.

"Oh please. Beating me up wasn't enough, now you've resorted to rubbing your engagement in my face?"

I could easily argue that she and her friends were about to do the same, if not worse, but I was overcome by the information that had just unfolded.

 _Was this something recent? Did Adrian's father somehow negotiate a marriage during my stay?_

It didn't make sense after the trouble I had gotten into with Daniela recently, not to mention the Queen wasn't particularly fond of me. Then a stirring thought arose. The hearing. I thought back to that night and remembered Adrian had stopped Tatiana short. She had begun to say, " _Just because the two of you are—_ " but for some reason, he hadn't let her finish. At the time, the interruption had made me wonder, but I had completely forgotten about it since then. Was it possible that we had been engaged this entire time?

I noticed Iris' eyebrows scrunch with curiosity as she observed me, causing me to jump up off of her to prevent her from catching on to my surprise. Even if the truth was I was just hearing about this now, I didn't want her thinking she had somehow gained the upper hand.

I stood above her menacingly and slowly holstered my dagger, probably a little too dramatically than necessary but I was going for effect. "Next time you and your little posse try anything, and I mean anything...I'll cut up that pretty face of yours enough to make sure Adrian isn't the only man who wants nothing to do with you."

She scoffed at me as she cradled her injured arm, but I could see that spark of fear in her eyes still stirring from my threatening words.

I turned around, heading back towards the castle archways making a point to rub my dirty shoes along the hem of Gwyneth's skirt as I passed the other two girls. They were still laying on the ground grumbling in pain and I couldn't help but smirk to myself at their fallen states.

When I arrived at Adrian's quarters, I didn't bother knocking before bursting into his room. The last time I had been there I was practically throwing myself at him. This time, I was tempted to do the same...but in a much more hostile manner.

Luckily, he was fully clothed but I was fuming with so much anger and confusion that even a stark naked royal wouldn't have stopped me from berating him. He turned to face me, a small smile forming on his face when he realized it was me who had barged in.

Before he could say anything, I barked out, "Why didn't you tell me we were engaged?"

His smile immediately faded. "Who told you that?!" He looked a bit shocked by my outburst, but I just continued to stare at him blankly, refusing to respond without an answer from him first.

A couple of silent moments passed between us as Adrian tried to wrangle his thoughts. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm and collected but I could still detect that small hint of uncertainty he sometimes had around me. "I didn't want to put pressure on you when you were still trying to figure out who you are."

"That doesn't matter. You shouldn't have hidden it from me. You should've told me the first time we met!"

"What was I supposed to say? 'Hi, I'm Adrian Ivashkov, your glorious savior and intended groom?' It's not nearly as appealing as how we originally met."

I crossed my arms over my chest, letting him know I wasn't amused in the slightest.

He let out a low sigh and scratched the back of his neck. "Besides, you haven't technically accepted yet."

"I didn't think I needed to. It sounds like it was an arranged deal." My voice dripped with sarcasm, which normally annoyed others but instead, my words seemed to shame him.

Adrian looked away focusing on an insignificant spot of his room as his voice dropped in volume and morale.

"Maybe. But I want you to."

There was only a small pause between his thoughts, but it was long enough to allow a semblance of curiosity to creep up inside me. When he turned back, his green eyes held such sincerity I felt like I was being pulled in.

"I want you to know you have a choice in the matter. In being with me."

Even though Adrian wasn't like most royals I had met, it was still staggering to hear one say something like that. As a high-born lady, I knew I had duties and responsibilities I would eventually be forced to uphold, but even more so as a Dhampir. My wants and needs would always come second, yet Adrian was telling me that to him—they came first.

My mind was racing, my anger quickly fading with the swirling thoughts. With his position and obvious favor from his queen, Adrian could have anyone he wanted and they wouldn't have any room to argue; not that any of the women in this kingdom would with the way they talked about him. His admission rattled me too much to form a clarifying question, so instead, I just asked, "Why would your mother even agree to it? You're royal."

"So are you," he smiled back in that devil-may-care way he did.

I rolled my eyes and dropped my arms as I took a few calculated steps towards him. "Yeah, technically, but you're a Moroi. With a legitimate claim to the throne, nonetheless. It's no secret your kingdom still follows the old ways and believes in keeping the lines pure. Pretty much everyone here looks down at me besides...well, besides you."

He seemed bothered by that statement, although I couldn't understand why. It shouldn't have been a surprise to hear, yet the look of disgust that briefly crossed his features said otherwise.

But rather than fixate on it, he answered me instead. "My mother isn't the one that agreed to the arrangement. My father did. He would do anything to get me out of the kingdom so I'd no longer be a blatant reminder of his failures."

I thought about the times I had been in the presence of his father at various dinners and admittedly, there was nothing pleasant about the man. I could count on one hand the number of times he had actually looked in my direction. Still, knowing that your own father would rather arrange a match he himself thought to be inferior just to get you out of his hair had to hurt.

I could see Adrian's fingers twitch at his side and his jaw click in frustration. His eyes flicked over to a pot of wine across the room, but rather than trudge over to it and chug down a glass like I knew he wanted to, he ran his restless hands through his hair and let out a calming breath.

I started to feel kind of bad for my initial approach. Sure, I was still pissed that he had kept this information a secret, but if I was being honest, I wasn't sure if I would have allowed myself to be as open around him if I had known before. If anything, I most likely would have wanted nothing to do with him. I glanced up at him and gave him a small, sassy smile. "So, does this mean I have to start referring to you as my fiance?"

He let out a short chuckle and shook his head. "Although that does have a nice ring to it, I was thinking we could try courting for a while first. See how that goes before you commit to anything so...permanent."

My smile grew and I moved my fingers up to the ruby buttons at the top of his shirt. "Well, now that you mention it, there are actually a few things I would like to try."

He raised an eyebrow at me, no doubt catching on to the suggestiveness of my tone. I caught his eyes shifting to the space above me—that I now recognized as my aura—as I moved another step closer. I wondered what he searched for when he did that, but my close proximity quickly brought his gaze back to mine.

"Kiss me," I whispered seductively.

He didn't hesitate or ask if I was sure, like some of the more insecure guys did. No, he knew what he wanted and he took it without the waste of a single breath.

After a short moment, I pulled my lips from his, keeping my face only an inch away. His eyes were still closed and he took a subtle inhale as he stood above me.

"Adrian," those emerald eyes fluttered open and fixed with mine. "Don't ever keep secrets from me again." Although my voice was low, there was a deliberate bite to it so I was sure he wouldn't mistake my seriousness.

I wrapped my hands around his collar as he nodded in agreement and began to pull him to the bed behind me. As soon as we sat on the edge his lips were immediately back on mine. There was a hunger behind his movements that overwhelmed my senses. His hands worked their way around my body, feeling each crevasse, each line along my physique.

I clutched onto his chest and tilted my head back gasping for breath. His eager lips refused to part from me as they made their way down my throat. A soft moan from him reverberated along my collarbone, causing a shiver to run up my spine. I could tell by his maneuvers that he craved something more. He wasn't overzealous or pushy, but knowing what men wanted was a gift I had been blessed with.

At first, the idea thrilled me. My body had been practically aching for his attention since that first night we kissed. However, now that the opportunity had presented itself and all I had to do was dive in, I found myself hesitating. I wasn't sure why; Adrian was gorgeous and it was obvious that he completely adored me. Maybe the unyielding trust still wasn't there, or maybe I just wasn't ready—as unlikely as it was. Either way, something was telling me to hold back.

But even though my mind was telling me to shy away, my body still searched for some kind of release—so I decided to try something that I never thought I would.

As Adrian continued to ravage my neck, I pushed my chest forward and slightly arched myself in offering. "Adrian, you can...if you want to," I raspily breathed out.

My eyes were screwed shut but I could feel his lips pull back allowing his teeth access to my skin. They traced a path from my nape to my jaw at an excruciatingly slow pace, lightly nibbling along the way. Bursts of heat bounced across my skin at each new point he reached and I felt like I was about to explode with anticipation. Each of my senses were completely seduced as sparks threatened to fly in every direction.

Then suddenly, his touch vanished. My eyes drifted open and I pulled my head up slightly to find him waiting for my attention.

"As tempting as that is, Little Dhampir, I wouldn't want to damage that perfect neck of yours," he said as his fingers traced along the path his teeth just had.

"Really," my voice was still shaky with desire, but I was certain he could sense my surprise. "Are you sure?"

I knew of his preference in drinking straight from the source, and adding in the fact that biting someone during these instances could really heighten things...well, I had to commend his restraint. He drew back a little more and studied my face, causing a twinge of pink to rush to my cheeks.

The seam of his lips parted into a small smile and his eyes softened into tenderness before sparking with something else. "Maybe some other time. For now," his hand moved under my jaw with his fingers wrapping into my hair, "this is enough," then he consumed my mouth with a kiss that was a promise of paradise.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for the brief absence. I spoke with several of you already but for those of you I didn't get a chance to, I was in the process of moving and unfortunately, my time was monopolized with packing, moving, and unpacking. Hopefully, I'll be able to get back into a more steady rhythm now.

Anyways, this chapter was a fun one. We got to see Abe make his first appearance (always such a fun character to write) and some Rose darkness creeping in. It's about time she started kicking some ass. Next chapter will most likely be the last one with Rose in the Western Isles so buckle up!

And I know I'm going to get an earful from several of you over that last bit but at this point, I don't care. Since starting this story I've been really excited to do a play on the original biting scene from Spirit Bound. It's by far one of the steamiest if not THE steamiest scene from the series and I really wanted to do my own twist on it. I never really liked that Adrian bit her, so I changed it up a little to show that he isn't just after her hot bod (although it's one of the main things that draws him to her) but really cares deeply for her.

For those of you still pissed about Rodrian action, I've heard you, I get it, but I'm not changing the story just to please those who are unhappy. I didn't put all this effort into the plot of the story just to write 30 chapters of smut. Now, that's not to say there won't be any more (bc I can't stay away from Romitri too long), but I really want to challenge myself and complicate these characters' lives while diving deep into what makes them tick. If all you are looking for is Romitri lemons, then I'm sorry but this isn't my main goal. Feel free to message me though and I'd be happy to give you some suggestions on some of my fav lemony fics.

Thanks to everyone out there still reading!


	37. Chapter 37

**Part 2 Chapter 37**

 **DPOV**

 **Song: Wolf by Marika Hackman**

 _Hands reach up into my hair as fingers move to tangle themselves deeper in. Light scratches from fingernails against my scalp and soft moans against my lips cause my head to spin. I pull her warm body close to me and move my lips across her cheek to whisper into her ear, "Roza."_

 _That one, small word elicits a shiver from her that shakes her entire body. It's more than just a name. It's a promise. A promise of my love for her...and a promise of my lust for her._

 _I grip onto her hips and try to lift her off me to move over her, but she fights me. She always does. It was a little game she liked to play before she finally, eventually, caved in. We roll around, our lips finding one another's in between chuckles and giggles before she takes charge and pins me down. Her hands latch on to mine digging them into the bedding, smaller yet somehow just as strong. I look up to see her smiling down at me, her self-proclaimed victory worn proud._

 _Her hooded eyes are so dark that even the faintest hint of light from the corner of my tent seems to catch in them. I could easily get lost in those eyes._

 _She begins to lean down, slowly and seductively, claiming her prize with a heated kiss. I'm so tempted to let her win. For a moment I want nothing more than to give in and let her have me, but our competitiveness is something we have in common—and I know there's something she'll want more. I use her moment of distraction and in one swift movement flip her over and land on top, pinning her legs below mine. Her brown eyes go wide and that small hint of light sparks with excitement._

" _Hey, you cheated," she huffs, blowing a stray strand of hair away from her face._

" _What was it you said in training yesterday," I smirk. "Never let your guard down."_

 _She lets out a short laugh and my heart leaps. "Well, I guess all is fair in love and war."_

" _Whatever you say, Marshall." I move my lips painstakingly close to hers as I speak but still don't allow them to touch, teasing her in a way I know drives her mad._

 _I can feel her pulse quicken against my thighs and chest, both pressed firmly against her. When she speaks next, her voice is breathy and desperate. "Kiss me, Coimheach."_

 _I nuzzle my nose against her neck and trace my teeth along her jaw. "Not until you say it."_

 _Her chest heaves against mine with anticipation and she lets out another moan before softly crying out, "I'm yours."_

 _I thrust my hips forward and simultaneously plunge my tongue deep into her mouth, mirroring my movements between her thighs. I try to start out slow, but that's never really been our speed. It's not long before we pick up a familiar rhythm that has us both gasping for air. Each time, I find myself wishing this would last forever but at the same time, longing for the moment it will end. Not because I'm drained or tired, I could never grow tired of her, but because I know what comes after is far sweeter. And this time is no different._

 _I fall down next to her, both of us coming down from our mind-blowing release and feel her wrap herself around me from limb to limb. I run my hands through her silky hair and bury my lips in the top of her crown. An almost purring sound escapes her and she looks up at me through impossibly long lashes._

" _I love you, Dimitri."_

 _My heart soars and there's no holding back my adoring smile as I reply, "I love you, Roza."_

A bang across the room jolted me awake and my torso came flying off the bed. I looked around, slightly unsure where and _when_ I was only to see Daisy gnawing on a bone. Someone from the kitchen staff must have thrown it to her. Several of the castle workers had overcome their initial discomfort and developed a soft spot for her. I let out a groan and flopped back against my pillow.

I turned my head and ran my hand across the empty space beside me. I could've sworn I could still feel her warmth there.

The memory of her face and her words to me slowly began to fade until they were nothing but a faint fog.

" _All is fair in love and war."_

But it wasn't. Nothing about our love was fair.

I flipped the sheets off me and hopped up out of bed before I began feeling too sorry for myself. My hand instinctively ghosted to the necklace around my neck as I walked over to my wooden chest to grab a shirt. Daisy remained enthralled with her new chew toy even after I left the room.

For a moment, I envied her. I wished it were that easy to distract myself, especially on days that started like these. As I strolled down the corridors and wandered into the main dining hall I couldn't help but notice how unusually quiet it was for the time. I could only assume the majority of the kingdom was hungover from the coronation the previous night. Vasilisa had finally accepted the crown and the ceremony had been as grandiose as Natalie planned. I could tell the Princess—now Queen—had felt uneasy about it the entire day before, but something changed that night.

She went from a nervous wreck, so anxious about the ceremony I wasn't sure if she'd even go through with it, to suddenly feeling perfectly at ease and ready to take on her responsibilities with stride. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought Rose stealing some of those dreaded feelings from her would've been the cause, but we all knew that would never happen again.

Small instances like those kept appearing throughout the night and I found myself seeing Rose in every bit of the evening. It was no surprise my dreams were invaded by her as well.

I bit into an apple that was still sitting in one of the various piles of food and looked around at the aftermath of the celebration. It really had been spectacular. Not too over the top like some coronations I had been to, but the love the people had for Vasilisa was palpable. It caused the air in the room to feel lighter and the misfortunes we had been facing to fade into the background, even if only for a night. Admittedly, I was tempted on more than one occasion to join in on the festivities, but something told me to keep a sharp eye on the crowd. I couldn't shake the feeling that Vasilisa still wasn't safe, and wasn't willing to risk it even for a simple moment of distraction.

"Dimitri! Vlad, there you are, I've been looking for you everywhere." I turned around to see Mason Ashford practically traipsing towards me. As he grew nearer, I could see his eyes were bloodshot, the red in them mirroring the fiery color of his hair. He must have been woken up in a similar manner as I had, but with about a barrel of brew still lingering.

I could tell instantly that he was more excited than agitated so his sudden need to speak with me didn't raise any alarm. "I'm surprised to see you up so early," I teased. "I thought that brunette you were hanging on last night would have kept you busy well into the morning hours."

Mason sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and cracked a grin. "Unfortunately for me, I was too plastered to keep anyone busy and she ended up ditching me before sunrise."

I chuckled then took another bite of my apple, feeling slightly bad for laughing at his expense.

"Hey man, we can't all be tall, dark, and mysterious like you. Plus you got that whole foreign thing going for you that drives the blades wild. Lucky for me, you're too serious about your work or we'd all be left hangin' high and dry."

I knew he was only jesting, but even the idea of another woman on my arm had me desperately wanting to change the subject. I attempted to give him a smile—that I knew was unconvincing—and awkwardly cleared my throat. "So, was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Ashford's eyes went wide as if he had suddenly remembered there had been an actual reason for him seeking me out. "YES! Yes," he wildly blurted. "They're coming! We received word from a scout this morning. They're actually coming."

"Who is," I asked, puzzled by his roused state.

"The allies. They've been in contact with one another and will be led by Guardian Hathaway's troops within the next two days." His arms were moving animatedly around him and he was speaking so fast he was becoming short of breath. "I wrote down the rest of the details of where they will be attacking from and how many forces they're bringing, but Dimitri...this is it. We might finally be out of this purgatory."

It took a second to register what he was saying. Sure, I absolutely trusted Tasha to do everything she could to bring us aid, and Guardian Hathaway had already done so much to help us as it was, but hearing it out loud—that reinforcements were finally on their way—I could hardly believe it.

I finally snapped out of my sudden loss for words and began spouting out orders like a mad man. I could see Mason's head spinning and only half of my requests actually landing, but I couldn't stop. We left the room and began rallying as many men as we could to spread the word. Afterward, I quickly began making my way to the Queen's chambers.

If everything went according to plan, it looked like a coronation wouldn't be the only thing worth celebrating soon.

.

 **RPOV**

 **Song: It's Time To Come Home by The Rentals**

I fiddled with the table knife impatiently as we continued the agonizing wait for our food. The dinner table that night was decorated more than usual and Daniela had insisted I wear something formal. The dress was pulled tight along the corset and I was worried I wouldn't be able to eat enough to satisfy my raging hunger within the confines of the fabric's death grip.

Adrian was there as well, joining us for the first time since I'd been a guest at the castle, and I could tell he was becoming just as irritable. He distractedly ran his fingertips along the edges of a large gold painted conch shell earning a tsk from Daniela.

He moved his hand back to his lap and the room continued radiating with uncomfortable silence. In an attempt to break it, Daniela finally spoke up, "Adrian, dear, I'm so glad you decided to join us this evening."

"Yes, well it was you that _insisted_ it was of the utmost importance that I come tonight. Though, as to why is still unclear." He tried his best to keep his agitation hidden through a polite smile.

His father, Nathan, let out a grunt from the head of the table and turned his stone cold face towards the wall. It was as if he agreed with Adrian that him being there was unnecessary, but admitting that his son was right offended him more than accentuating the point.

"We're having a special guest tonight so I thought it would be nice to dine as a family," Daniela smiled, ignoring the rising tension between father and son.

It was then I finally noticed that there was an extra setting placed between Nathan and Adrian. My hunger had been so distracting I hadn't even realized it before.

"Who else is joining us," I quietly asked, not wanting to attract Lord Ivashkov's attention.

Daniela turned to me to answer, a proud look on her face, but before she could give me a name the door to the entrance flew open with a gust. A tall Moroi man that I instantly recognized strolled in, completing his dramatic entrance with a low bow.

It was the same mysterious stranger I had bumped into in the hall just three days prior, wearing a haughty grin to match his extravagantly colorful ensemble.

"Good evening, Ivashkovs." There was a sing-song note to his voice as if he hadn't a care in the world.

Nathan abruptly stood from his seat, the sound of wood scraping against stone accompanying his outroar. "What's the meaning of this?!"

The stranger straightened up and looked to Nathan. "Well, dinner I assumed," despite Nathan's obvious hostility the foreign man remained perfectly composed. "I realize I am a bit late, apologies for that, but I—"

Nathan turned towards his wife, red-faced and flustered, without letting the foreigner finish his thought. "Was this your doing, woman?"

I thought his tone and ill-manner would have mortified Daniela but instead, she just narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as if this tantrum was a normal occurrence.

"Actually, as humbling as it would be to receive an invitation from your lovely wife, it was at the Queen's behest."

"That's outrageous," Nathan's voice rose to a shout. "You expect me to believe that the Queen would invite a _pirate_ to our table?"

"Oh hush now Nathan before you exhaust yourself." Lord Ivashkov's face fell completely flat as a new voice entered the room. Daniela and Adrian immediately rose from their seats and I clumsily scrambled out of mine trying to avoid stepping on my dress.

"Tatiana," Nathan nervously breathed out. "I had no idea you would be bringing a…a..." I could tell he was trying his best to search for the right word, but he ended up just landing on, " _guest_."

"I do apologize for my Nephew's rudeness, Mr. Mazur," the Queen turned towards the proclaimed pirate with her pointy nose in the air. "I would say he's normally much more agreeable, but monarchs are bound by the truth."

Adrian bit down on his lip to keep it from curling into an amused grin as Daniela hurriedly gestured for one of the servants to gather another place setting.

As the odd pair walked further into the room, Nathan held out his arm to offer the Queen his seat at the head of the table but instead, she brushed past him, not even sparing him an appreciative glance and took the empty chair next to Adrian.

She gave him a warm smile as he sat back down in his seat and wrapped her hands around one of his. "My darling, it's so good to see you. Are you well?"

It was jarring to see how quickly her demeanor could change from smug and imperious to perfectly pleasant in an instant. Adrian returned her affection with the first genuine smile I'd seen all evening as the two exchanged pleasantries.

Mr. Mazur, as I'd just learned, pushed the Queen's chair in and began walking down the table. I assumed he would take the empty seat next to Nathan so he could converse with Tatiana, but instead he made his way to the other end to settle across from me.

"Ah, Miss Hathaway. What a lovely surprise." Something told me this man was never truly surprised. "I'm pleased to be seeing you again so soon."

I used the opportunity of navigating my way back into my seat to avoid answering him.

Unfortunately, the Queen refused to give me that allowance. "The two of you know each other," she chirped from across the table.

"Why yes," Abe proudly addressed. "I had the pleasure of meeting this young lady the other day in one of your many great halls."

Daniela's subtle frown returned and I quickly saw all my precious freedom being whisked out the door.

"You see, this glorious castle is so vast I became distracted by all its splendor and I somehow lost my way. Miss Hathaway was kind enough to point me in the right direction."

 _Kiss ass._

I could tell Daniela was getting irritated with how informally he was addressing me, but I didn't bother correcting him. The official titles everyone insisted on using annoyed me to no end. And besides, my irritation with him stemmed from the fact that he felt the need to lie for me. Like I was some damsel who needed him to come to my aid.

"Yes well, distractions come easier to some more than others, I suppose. I didn't feel right about leaving such a clueless looking man wandering about aimlessly. Right, Mr. Mazur?" I made a point to emphasize his name since he'd been so resilient to give it to me before.

Adrian let out a small chuckle, "Isn't that ironic. A renowned sea captain losing his way. I guess the palace grounds aren't as easy to navigate as the open ocean."

Mr. Mazur's almond eyes fixed on mine and flashed with a spark of deviousness as he said, "You'd be surprised."

I ground my teeth together, annoyed by how true that statement was.

One of the doors opened again and this time, to my pure delight, it was the one to the kitchen. Servants began entering the room carrying trays of food and I had to grip the edge of my seat to keep from flinging myself at them. They started with Queen Tatiana and worked their way around the head of the table.

Finally, a large wooden bowl was presented beside me but when I looked over to see what it's contents were, I scowled into my chin. "What..is that?!"

"It's the first course. A salad," the young servant supplied. "Would you care for some?"

"Do I look like a rabbit to you?"

"Um, n-no Princess," the nervous boy sputtered.

I sighed, realizing the poor guy didn't know how to take a joke and shook my head. "No thank you Diedrick, and I've told you not to call me that. Rose is fine."

He glanced nervously over to Daniela before scampering away. I didn't even have to turn to know her admonishing stare was fully engaged; I could feel it burning a hole into the side of my head. I probably should have let him put some on my plate and at least pretended to eat it, but was too crabby to consider it.

Adrian shot me a quick smirk across the table, making it easier to ignore his mother's disapproval, and pushed the plate of bread towards me. I tore a chunk off and stuffed it into my mouth without even bothering with the rich butter the others normally spread across it.

Thankfully, the next course was meat. Sure, there were some kind of vegetables on the plate as well, but I avoided them and went for the goods. Diedrick was kind enough to pile an extra piece on top of mine and I could have kissed the boy.

I teetered on the line of scarfing while obtaining a semblance of table manners as Tatiana continued conversing with Adrian. She spoke loud enough to make it seem like the rest of the party was welcome to join in, but it was easy to tell she was only interested in what he had to say. Eventually, I tuned them out as I dug into some sort of rabbit stew until something she said snapped me back to attention.

"Yes, well it turns out the Dragomir girl has finally made some headway with those pesky humans."

My head instinctively jerked towards her at the mention of Lissa.

"How so," Adrian inquired.

"Apparently, the Szelsky's of Galloway received word from them of their current situation. I can only assume it means they were somehow able to finally get messages out." Her disinterest in the subject was pretty apparent, but lucky for me she seemed to be pleased to continue indulging in conversation with Adrian. "Apparently, the Szelskys are sending aid along with the Ozeras of Inferion."

"With that amount of troops, they are sure to achieve a swift victory," Adrian excitedly replied, glancing over to me.

I couldn't even be mad that Tatiana had waited for who knows how long to bring the information up because the promise that I could return home, or at least get word to them soon overpowered everything else I could possibly be feeling.

I pushed my chair out and stood from the table, gathering up the ends of my dress so I could run as fast as I could to my chambers.

"What are you doing," Daniela objected. "Dinner is not through being served."

"I'm going to write a letter to Lissa. If they have organized allies to come to their aid, they must be able to receive them now."

"Not necessarily," Tatiana's cool voice contended. I turned to face her and could still see a hint of that indifference to the subject but for some reason, she felt the need to make a point. "Just because the troops are rallying, it doesn't mean they are able to receive ravens or letters yet."

"But you said—"

"I _said_ ," her face screwed into an arrogant gnarl and her voice took on a commanding tone, "that the neighboring kingdoms received word, but never did I mention the ravens or scouts. It's still a mystery how they were able to reach them since the humans have not abandoned their position. Getting a letter there is still impossible as far as we know."

Adrian cast me a sympathetic look as my high hopes began to dwindle. There had to have been some way they got word out, we just had to find out what it was. My mind began to scramble as I tried to think of an argument that would somehow benefit the Queen, but I knew Adrian had exhausted many resources as it was and it was highly unlikely she'd be willing to do the same. I considered asking her to contact the Szelskys and Ozeras to see if maybe we could send something back through them but wasn't sure how long that would take or if their troops had already left.

I hated feeling so helpless and reliant on others to do things for me. I wanted to run out of the room, scream at the top of my lungs, or do anything other than continue standing there pretending like everything about this coiled arrangement was okay. Then suddenly, a voice that I'd almost forgotten was there firmly spoke up.

"I could get one there."

I looked over to Mr. Mazur, surprised by the seriousness in his demeanor. It reminded me of when I saw him speaking with his Guardian in the hall. It lacked any of his usual breezy poise and was consumed by unfaltering certainty. But what astounded me most was that it was fully directed towards me.

If anyone was to make a declaration like that, you would think they would use the opportunity with the Queen of the Western Isles in the room to show off; especially since he'd done nothing but flatter her the entire evening. But it was as if he could care less about anyone else in the room except me.

Mr. Mazur stood from the table to meet my eye as the room waited for some kind of response.

"And what makes you think you can succeed where others have failed," Nathan accused from across the room. "We've sent countless ravens and some of the best-trained men to try and get to the palace. How could someone with far fewer resources be expected to pull that off?"

I hated to admit it, but Lord Ivashkov did have a point. Though I knew nothing of Mr. Mazur, other than that he was apparently a sea captain and accused pirate, I wasn't sure what was backing his ability to overcome the obstacles we had been facing for weeks.

A familiar mischievous look crossed his features and I found myself being drawn to his words as he slyly said, "I have my ways."

And then, surprisingly, I believed him.

.

 **DPOV**

 **Song: Going to California by Led Zeppelin**

A week had passed since the invaders were cleared and the kingdom was finally beginning to get back to normal. Troops arrived just as Janine and Tasha described and it took less than a day to achieve victory. Overwhelmed by the number of forces brought on, the humans had no choice but to retreat back to their kingdom. We expected to receive one last set of demands from the Sage King after all the trouble he had gone through, but so far, there hadn't been a word.

Several of the troops stayed behind to ensure that they wouldn't return, but we decided they would be leaving in a few days. When it was officially deemed safe, Vasilisa announced that a ball would be held in honor of the Lords and Ladies who sent us aid and they would all be invited to the Dragomir kingdom to indulge in festivities and gifts to show our appreciation. Natalie was beyond thrilled with the idea and even though it would most likely be weeks, if not months away, she had already begun planning.

In an effort to avoid her mind-numbing chatter about decor, entrees, and entertainment, I took the opportunity to liberate the horses for a few hours from the confines of the stables. It was the most relaxed I'd felt in weeks as I watched them gallop through the glades. For a few moments, I felt as one with them; a caged animal finally freed.

However, I realized that even if we would all be going back to our confines in a few short hours I still felt less enclosed than before. Where at first, the castle had made me feel like I was trapped, not only by the outsiders at our walls but by the memories of Rose running through it, now I couldn't help but feel that this place had become a home. I never thought it possible with all the grief and misery surrounding it, but somehow those dark entities had finally diminished and left behind was something brighter. It still wasn't whole—a piece would always be missing without Rose—but it was revitalizing. It felt right.

I took comfort in the fact that this was what Rose had wanted. For me to not only help protect Vasilisa but to find my place here. My fingers twirled around her necklace as I thought about her. There wasn't a day that went by where I still didn't wish she was by my side to see it, but the memory of her no longer stung. It brought me joy.

When the sun began to sink lower in the distance, I whistled for Daisy to wrangle up the horses. They were surprisingly unafraid of her, despite her abnormal size. It was as if they sensed her more gentle side and knew she wasn't there to hurt them. They held an air of respect for one another and it fascinated me to watch them interact. A few of the other men helped gather them up and we placed them back into their stalls with fresh water and oats.

I made my way back to the castle feeling lighter and more collected than before. I decided to make my way to the Queen's chambers and take her up on an invitation to dinner. I had gotten better about socializing more, but decided it was about time I put in the effort that should've been expected of me. When I reached her suite, Christian was already there, unsurprisingly. The two were pleasantly chatting and it was nice to hear them talk about something other than war.

"Hey Dimitri," Christian perked up.

I gave him a friendly nod and walked into the room. "Good evening, Your Majesty," I greeted Vasilisa. "I thought I would escort you dinner tonight if you wish."

"You mean join us," she amended. I nodded again and she rose excitedly from her seat. "That would be lovely, Dimitri."

The young Queen walked towards me with Christian in tow and slipped her arm around mine as we began making our way out of the suite. She leaned into me, glancing up at me over my shoulder, as she quietly said, "And how many times must I tell you not to call me 'Your Majesty'?"

I smiled and leaned down towards her, mimicking her tone. "At least once more."

She let out a small sigh but the sweet smile and light blush rising in her cheeks told me she wasn't nearly as annoyed as she'd like to let on.

Just when I reached for the handle, the door swung open and a Guardian barged into the room. Vasilisa jumped beside me, startled by his abrupt entrance and I shifted myself in front of her.

"What's the meaning of this," I didn't bother hiding my irritation for his lack of decorum.

"High Constable, Your Majesty, I apologize but an urgent letter has just arrived." The Dhampir held up a small white parchment in his hand and looked worriedly over to his Queen. "The messenger that brought it _insisted_ it be brought to the Queen right away without anyone else laying eyes on it first."

Vasilisa walked up beside me and carefully took the letter from the Guardian. "Thank you for bringing this to me with haste."

He responded with a deep bow and when he rose I signaled for him to leave the room. He scampered out just as quickly as he'd come in and when I turned around Vasilisa was thumbing over the seal on the scroll. "It's from the Western Isles," she supplied, sounding a bit confused.

I knew that there had been talks with them before the attacks, but they were yet to be established as an official ally. In fact, Victor hadn't even so much as mentioned them in the few times Vasilisa and I had gone to his quarters to provide him with updates. I supposed he must have thought without Rose, we no longer had a bargaining chip left to offer and trying to establish a relationship with them would be in vain.

Vasilisa walked over to a nearby table with a few lit candles resting idly on it. She delicately ripped open the seal and unraveled the parchment. She stood there silently with her back turned to us as she read over the letter, but I could see her back suddenly tense and her hands begin to shake. Christian moved towards her, but waited until she finished before asking, "Well, what does it say?"

Her jade eyes flicked up from the parchment filled with pools of water that threatened to spill down her now pale cheeks. I couldn't tell if they were filled with tears of shock, joy, or terror.

Worried, Christian placed a hand on her shoulder and quietly asked again, "Liss, what is it? What do the Ivashkovs want?"

Rather than answer, she turned towards me with a look on her face that suddenly caused my heart to become a lead ball in my chest.

"It's not from them," her voice was a broken whisper. "It's from Rose."

* * *

 **A/N:** Things are happening! Buckle up, guys.

I really enjoyed writing that first portion from first pov present tense. It was fun getting out of the usual past tense for a bit. Hope you guys enjoyed it as well!

Thanks for reading :)


	38. Chapter 38

**Part 2 Chapter 38**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Running Home to You by Bee Caves, As It Was by Hozier**

My hair hurt.

It had been nearly two weeks on the road and I was in desperate need of a bath. Luckily, one of the handmaidens that Daniela insisted we bring along with us knew how to braid hair and pulled mine up in a way that made it look less grimy than it actually was.

There were about a thousand other things for me to worry about other than my hair. Like the two dozen men Mr. Mazur had volunteered to bring along with us and whether or not I could rely on a band of pirates to behave. Or our single air user who sprained his ankle, making it harder for him to work efficiently with the other Moroi at night building a ward around our various campsites. Not to mention Mr. Mazur himself, who seemed to be getting closer to Adrian by the day. Once it was confirmed Lissa received my letter, the pirate Lord offered us protection and safe passage on the journey to St. Vladimir's. I should have been elated. At this point, I owed him more than I could repay. But that thought was just one more reason I still didn't trust him as far as I could throw him.

Still, as the great wall surrounding my home came into view, I allowed myself that one bit of vanity rather than everything else that had been plaguing me along the way. Once we reached the bustle of the kingdom, my senses were filled with the sights and smells of the market. It was busy that day and many of the villagers were out mingling and trading. The castle was positioned at the center of the kingdom and I began to lead the way, weaving between familiar streets.

If the entrance to the wall had been closed for some time due to the human invaders, it made sense that an extra amount of patrons would be indulging in the market, but something that struck me as odd was the number of Guardians surrounding it. They were practically stationed at every corner, each alley entrance, and all along the top of the wall. I kept getting the feeling that eyes were watching me from afar, but every time I turned to see who it was, I was met with faces of Dhampir I didn't recognize.

Once we were within ten yards of the castle, I half expected Mr. Mazur to push his way through and insist on being at the front lines to the entrance so he could personally greet the new _Dragomir Queen_. I assumed he'd want to gloat and flatter his way into her good graces as I'd seen him do in the Western Isles, but instead, he gathered up his men and said, "Well, I'll let you and your family get reacquainted while we make ourselves scarce."

"What," I blurted out. "You're not coming in?"

He grinned at my speculating scowl in that snakey way he did sometimes. "Not just yet. We like to get a lay of the land before we settle in. But it warms my heart to hear that you'll miss our company."

I looked around at his brigade as one of the men snorted a wad of snot into the back of his throat and another reached his dusty finger into his plump belly button to scratch it. He turned around and motioned for his pirates to follow and I called out behind him, "That's not what I—"

"Don't worry, Princess," he interrupted over his shoulder. "You'll be seeing us soon." A few of the men chuckled as he made his way to the front and I resisted the urge to pick up a rock and throw it at him.

I heard another chuckle beside me and turned to see Adrian smiling. I gritted my teeth and glared at him, but he just shrugged his shoulders innocently in response. As irritated as I was after the long journey, one quick look around made me realize that starting a fight right then would be pointless.

It was surreal to see the place I had been holding on to in my dreams was finally a reality. I was home. I wasn't sure how much of it had changed in my absence, but at least here I was no longer an outsider. Or so I hoped.

As I stood there admiring it, the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand on end and I could've sworn I felt the feeling that someone was watching me again. I whipped around, trying to catch the spectator off guard this time, but all I could see was another group of Guardians walking down the same path Mr. Mazur and his men had just disappeared down.

"Princess Hathaway," a voice called from the castle entrance. "Her Majesty is ready to receive you."

 _Receive me?_

Through some of the memories I still had from my childhood and others that Adrian had helped me bring out along the road, I remembered Lissa waiting to greet me at the front gates. Now she was not only waiting inside but sending a group of Guardians out to snatch me?

I guess we _had_ arrived with a band of rough looking men, but I began to wonder if things were different now between us. Maybe there was more that I had forgotten about.

I suddenly felt nervous and quietly walked beside Adrian. The Guardian that had called out to me, one I didn't recognize, set a quick pace as we made our way through the tall oak doors. Occasionally he would glance back at us with a strange look on his face—one I tried to ignore.

As we entered the room, I was hit with a wave of familiarity. The sights, the smells, everything about it was welcoming. Sure, it wasn't nearly as decadent as the grand halls at the Ivashkovs and some may even describe it as somewhat dreary, but to me...it was home.

I stopped walking in the center of the room and looked up to the ceiling, admiring the gothic style chandeliers and stone staircases. I briefly closed my eyes and let my other senses soak up my surroundings, but when I heard an echoing voice approach from the distance my face and eyes snapped towards it.

"I don't care who she came in with, I'm not waiting a second longer."

"But, Your Majesty, we need to be cautious of—"

"I've already sent men to check it out, now move out of my way. I'm seeing my sis—"

Jade eyes from across the room met mine and her commanding voice suddenly halted. She brushed past another Guardian and walked towards me, stopping when she was only a few feet away. We stared at each other for a moment, neither of us knowing what to do or say. The men behind her looked at us with the same bizarre look as the other guard, like they were seeing a ghost. I wanted to run to Lissa and pull her into my arms, ask her if she was okay, but I also didn't want to cause any of her edgy men alarm.

I grabbed the ends of my dirty skirt and knelt down into a low curtsy. "Your Grace."

Before I could rise back up to stand, I heard footsteps rush over and two arms pull me up from my dainty bow. For some paranoid reason, I briefly thought her men were taking the opportunity to seize me, but a flash of my sister's pale hair against my cheek and a gust of her familiar scent rushed around me as she enfolded me in a tight hug. Engulfed in her embrace, she softly whispered to me, "Call me Lissa."

I instantly wrapped my arms around her thin frame and tucked my face into her shoulder. I could feel hints of emotions through the bond mirroring my own rising feelings. In some of my memories, I had sensed her much stronger than I could in that moment, but the fact that I felt anything at all, especially while I was awake, gave me comfort. Waves of relief flowed through me and I held on to her tightly, soaking up all the time I had missed with her in my absence.

"You're still shite at curtsying you know," she sniffled into my hair.

I laughed and pulled away a little, still keeping her within arms reach. "Yeah, well on the list of memories to recover, curtsying and table manners weren't really sitting that high."

She gave me a shaky smile before her eyes flicked to Adrian then back to me. "I'm sorry for all the formalities but you arrived a bit earlier than expected and with all the recent incidents our security insisted on being cautious."

The impatient part of me would normally have been annoyed by the fact that the Guardians had purposely kept her away from me, even if only for a few minutes, but for some reason I actually felt grateful that they had. "It's okay. I understand."

Lissa pulled me in for one more quick hug before stepping away and turning towards Adrian. "Lord Ivashkov, welcome to our home. Rose told me in her letter what a true ally you have been to her and for that I am eternally grateful. If there is anything we can do for you in return, please let me know."

Her tone was polite, but I could still sense a dose of uneasiness from her. Growing up, we had never really been that quick to give our trust to strangers and it looked like Lissa still held on to that quality, despite what my letter had said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, but I assure you that's not necessary. And to be quite frank, Rose would have been perfectly fine without me," he shot me a quick wink before taking a step towards my sister. When he began to speak again, his face took on a look of captivation as his eyes wandered to and from the space above Lissa's head. "I am honored to finally meet you Queen Vasilisa. I believe we have much more in common than one would assume."

She gave him an odd look and he held out his hands, waiting for hers. She cautiously placed her right hand in his, and as soon as their skin made contact, her curious brow rose in shock. He leaned down and gave her knuckles a small kiss before saying, "If it's alright with you, I think we should make some time to talk."

"Yes," she breathily replied, that hint of awe still clinging to her expression. "I think we should."

I looked behind Lissa, noticing for the first time a young Moroi man standing there with a scowl covering his face. His hair was black as night and he had piercing ice blue eyes that were currently shooting daggers at Adrian. I could only assume this was the Lord Ozera Adrian had mentioned to me. I thought about introducing myself to him and pulling his attention away, but watching him jealously glare at the two beside me was mildly entertaining and I decided to let him fume for a minute instead.

Then suddenly, something in the room shifted.

I felt him before I heard him. Which was strange given his freakish height, but he moved in a combination of grace and stealth that made it nearly impossible to detect him.

The feeling was hard to grasp. Almost like a chill, but not in the way that irks you. More like a subtle pull. As if his presence begged you to pay attention.

Lissa smiled as he approached her side and she seemed to visibly relax when he was near, but when she briefly glanced towards me, I could sense her worry begin to grow. It was as if she was anxious about my reaction. I wasn't sure why she would be concerned about my reception of another Guardian, but maybe this one was different.

I focused my attention on him and examined the new stranger in the room. At first, he seemed like a typical Guardian, other than the longer than usual hair tied back at his neck he stood at attention with a serious look on his face and that stiffness throughout his body that looked like he was ready to pounce into action at any given notice. But when I took a closer look, I noticed something strange. Even though he was by far the tallest man in the room and undoubtedly exuded power, there was a nervousness about him that I didn't see before. I tried to search his features for some clue as to what would cause it, but his position in the room had his face partially shadowed and his intense focus seemed to fall on everyone in the room...except for me.

"Lord Ivashkov," Lissa began, "I'd like to introduce you to the head of my forces, High Constable Dimitri Belikov."

The Guardian bowed politely. As his head came down a beam of light lit up his face and I could see him more clearly. He was handsome—more than handsome really, an absolute ride was a more adequate description—but good looks couldn't really be the cause for his or Lissa's peculiar behavior. Then, my gaze locked on a familiar sight and my heart leaped into my throat.

Warm, mahogany brown with subtle flecks of honey.

Adrian began to reciprocate with some kind of response, but I cut him off without paying any mind to what he was saying.

"Your eyes," I breathed out.

The High Constable's gaze immediately shot towards me in response. I wasn't sure if anyone else had even heard me, but the way he instantly reacted was almost as if he had been waiting for me to speak. With his focus fixed on me, the images from my dreams began to stir deep within. Those eyes that I had seen through Lissa's during my time away had been a recurring enigma I couldn't solve. The vast emotions that swirled behind them haunted me even long after I woke, like an apparition trailing me through the halls. And now they were right in front of me, attached to a living, breathing Dhampir.

"What was that Rose," Adrian asked.

I quickly realized how strange I was acting and shook my head with a nervous laugh. "Uh nothing. Sorry. Hello, Constable Belikov. It's nice to meet you."

"Marshall," he addressed, bowing much lower than he had for Adrian. He not only appeared to know me, but his actions symbolized a deep sign of respect. I was a little baffled to receive such a grand gesture given how none of the other unfamiliar Guardians had acted this way, but what confused me more was the term he used.

"Marshall?"

"Ah there's no need for that," Adrian cheerily chimed. "Especially now that _you_ are the head of the cavalry." The Guardian rose from his bow and turned his attention back to the Moroi, but my gaze remained locked on him. "The Princess has returned home from court and now that she has accepted my proposal for marriage, there will be no need for her to wage wars."

A cross look seemed to take over the Dhampir's face and I could see his jaw tick with irritation.

"My sincerest apologies, Your Highness," the Constable replied without looking in my direction. When he spoke, his tone darkened and I noticed a foreign accent that hadn't been prevalent before. I had never heard his voice in my dreams but I found myself wanting to hear more, hoping it would spark a memory as to why my subconscious had been teasing me with small bits of him.

Adrian turned to Lissa and Lord Ozera, who had possessively moved beside her, and started a new conversation. Once the attention was no longer on him, the Dhampir seized the opportunity to make his escape. His exit was just as artful as his entrance, but his demeanor had changed. If at all possible, his back was even stiffer than before and I could see his hands opening and closing into tight fists at his side. I curiously watched as he disappeared into the distance until Adrian once again brought me back into the present conversation.

 **...**

I couldn't sleep.

Which was surprising since I had just taken the longest bath I'd had in weeks and was finally back in my old room. But something about it just seemed off. Missing even.

I lied awake staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out what it was. Eventually, I resorted to tossing and turning until I couldn't take it anymore. Frustrated, I got up from the bed and walked over to my window. I pulled back the thick curtains designed to keep out any light and was pleased to find there was still a bit of sun hanging in the sky.

I glanced over to my left hand wrapped around the dark fabric and was drawn to the ring resting idly on my fourth finger. Adrian had given it to me a few days prior and the single black pearl sitting in the middle of it was still an odd sight. It was said that the tradition of engagement rings started as a way for men to bring our spirit under their control. It was a ridiculous thought and I knew Adrian's intentions were purely out of love and devotion, but it still somehow felt like a sign of ownership. Like I belonged to him. Something I wasn't sure if I would ever be comfortable with. I suddenly had the urge to break free from the captive feeling I'd irrationally created.

My eyes scanned over the forest outside the wall and a desire I'd had since our arrival became impossible to ignore. Dusk was quickly approaching, but there was still at least a couple of hours before the night completely took over. Without a second thought, I threw one of my lighter dresses on, not even bothering to check what clothes were still in my armoire, and raced out the door.

I made it to the edge of the treeline without being stopped or questioned by one of the many new Guardians scattered about—a skill I picked up in my early teens. I rushed forward into the Emerald Pines and momentarily worried that I might not remember the way. It was easy to get lost in the maze of the woods and if I wasn't careful, I could be trapped inside after dark. However, even without the help of my mind, my body took over and guided me down the familiar path. Filled with a new sense of resurgence, I increased my speed and let go of any sense of uncertainty. Low hanging limbs brushed by my face as I leapt over protruding roots. I pressed into moss-covered boulders launching myself into the air just long enough to let out a short howl before my feet came crashing back down into the soft, green earth.

It was the most alive I'd felt in weeks.

I started to feel winded sooner than expected, but it had been a while since I'd had any proper exercise. When I reached my destination, my breathing had transformed into heavy gasps and my hands shot to my knees as I folded over. Even though my limbs and lungs felt like they were on fire, I didn't regret it. If anything, I reveled in it. Once my breathing was somewhat normal again, I straightened up and began walking towards the clearing. The sun poured its light in through the trees in amber beams that weaved between the trunks, giving the cool colors of the forest a warming glow.

I held out my hands and brushed the tips of my fingers along the leaves, adding an extra rustling sound to the ones the wind was already creating. I closed my eyes as I breached the treeline towards the cliffs and a rush of wind crashed into me. It was powerful enough to knock you over if you let it, but I dug my feet in and let the wind wrap around me until it began to settle. After a moment I opened my eyes to admire the sunset in the distance. The view was as beautiful as I remembered. It was hard to imagine anything else more spectacular in the world than that very spot. For the first time since arriving back at St. Vladimir's I finally felt truly at home.

I began making my way towards the edge to peer down into the valley, but when I looked to my right, I suddenly realized I wasn't alone. For a moment, the sun played a cruel trick on me and I could've sworn I saw my brother sitting there smiling, flirting with the edge of the rocks as the wind blew at his back. I was milliseconds away from rushing towards him and flinging myself into his arms, but as the clouds shifted above—easing the sun's harsh glare—I realized there were not just one, but two figures sitting there.

I carefully approached them from behind, trying not to make my presence known but even my covert skills were no match for one of the onlookers. It's furry face whipped around towards me and once I was spotted it immediately rose to stand on all fours and walk towards me. It wasn't until it was a few yards away that I realized how large the beast was. Its gray and white fur moved in waves as the wind blew along its back and its eyes honed in on me as it moved even closer. I started to take a step back in an attempt to flee from the creature, but as a few green leaves blew past it I was suddenly hit with a jarring visual.

The wolf. I had seen it before. In a setting almost identical to this.

I thought back to the strange dream I'd had and tested the waters by reaching out my hand. The wolf didn't snarl or flinch in response, it just stood there still as if it were waiting for me to make the first move. I took another step closer, my heart pumping fiercely in my chest. If it wanted to, it could not only take my hand off with one bite but probably half my forearm with it. What I was attempting was stupid— _beyond_ stupid—but something inside me was telling me I could trust this beast. _Here goes nothing_ , I thought to myself with a deep inhale before pressing my hand against the gray wolf's snout.

I hadn't realized I'd squeezed my eyes shut until I felt a hot breath against my hand. I peeked them open to see my fingers spread across the wolf's snout. I exhaled in relief that it hadn't decided to chomp down on me after all and lightly brushed my hand up to its head. It continued to let me stroke it and I whispered in disbelief, "Is that really you?"

The sound of my voice must have drifted over to the edge of the cliffs, alerting the other bystander, because an instant later he jumped up from his perch almost identical to how the wolf had. I was surprised to see it was someone I knew—well sort of. The High Constable from earlier.

There was a stunned look on his face as another strong gust of wind blasted me. I hadn't thought to pull my hair back before I'd ventured out and it was now uncontrollably whipping around me. His eyes seemed to follow it and I could only assume it looked insane.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," I called out, dropping my hand from the wolf beside me and self consciously running it through my wild hair.

His gaze immediately shot to the ground away from me. He stood there for a moment as if he was gathering a lost thought before marching away from the edge of the rocks. "It's fine. We were just leaving."

His voice was brusque and hard but barely carried over the sounds of the wind. If it weren't for my superior hearing, I may not have even heard him. As he made his way by the wolf and me, he called out to it, "Nu zhe."

She obeyed whatever command he'd barked and they were just about to reach the treeline when I hollered at his back. "How did you even know about this place? The only other person who even told me about it was—" my voice trailed off as that flash of Andre's figure sitting along the rocks caused my throat to tighten. My head dropped down slightly as a weighted feeling pressed into my shoulders. His presence had felt so real for that tiny instant that now his absence felt more crushing than it had in quite some time.

"Andre."

My face snapped up towards the Constable, shocked to hear my brother's name out loud, little less come from a stranger. His back was still turned to me but his face had slightly shifted towards the side—giving me a partial view of him with his eyes still refusing to meet mine.

I nodded, unsure if he could even see me doing so. "How did you know that?"

His gaze turned upwards towards the rustling trees and his shoulders moved in sync with a heavy sigh. We both stood there silently for so long, I thought he wasn't going to respond. Then, finally, he said, "You told me."

And with that, he and his wolf walked away, disappearing into the Emerald Pines.

* * *

 **A/N:** Special shoutout to the HW Godmother who really helped me make this chapter waaayyy better than it started. She's an angel and is always lookin out for you guys. Even though it's probably obvious by now, I wanted to clarify that there has been a time jump in the story. There will be a couple of flashbacks so if you're wondering, "wait, when did that happen?" the answer will most likely come later on.

I was super excited to finally write this chapter. It was a scene that I had on the original outline for this story and Romitri's first interaction since Rose's return has been driving me to keep going. I tried to keep Adrian and Lissa's meeting pretty close to FB but with some minor changes. Thanks to my friend Tia's story Through a Prism, I've recently started to cannon that his initial reason for wanting to hang out with Rose in FB was so he could really meet Lissa. Obviously, his feelings grew for her after, but I kind of played on that in this story with him admitting early on that he was coming to St. Vlad's in the first place so he could meet her sister and talk about Spirit.

I hope you guys enjoyed all the meetings—new and old ;).

 **Translations** : Nu zhe - come on


	39. Chapter 39

**Part 2 Chapter 39**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: With A Little Help From My Friends by Joe Anderson and Jim Sturgess, Celebrating Nothing by Phantogram, Crazy by L'Orchestra Cinematique**

I dragged my feet back to the castle, kicking up loose rocks as I mindlessly twirled a piece of my hair.

" _You told me."_

It sounded like a simple explanation, but it created a wad of confusion. How could I not remember telling someone something so precious to me, something I had kept a secret all my life?

Was he lying? That didn't seem right since he had mentioned Andre's name.

If that were the case then, of all people, why would I have told him?

Was he the only one that knew or did I just randomly decide to tell the entire kingdom on a whim? Ugh, the thought of people going up there to have drunken sun up parties was the last thing I needed. And what the hell was up with that enormous wolf?

I tugged on my hair until it became painful and let out a frustrated groan. It was pointless. I wasn't going to be able to answer any of those burning questions myself. I'd have to find someone else that could answer them for me. And unfortunately, the Constable seemed like the last person who wanted to help.

"Hey, Hathaway!" My ears perked up at the sound of my name. I looked around, not seeing anyone at first but when a figure emerged from the other side of the gates, I could only assume they were the one who had called out to me.

I cautiously walked towards them not sure who would be looking for me at this hour. Another body popped out from the wall and joined his companion in rushing towards me. I froze in place, suddenly outnumbered and wary of their intentions. I had apparently left with confidants I didn't remember so the likelihood of leaving with enemies too seemed pretty high.

I frantically looked around for something to use as a weapon to protect myself as they gained ground. My eyes darted to a large fallen branch and I knelt down to pick it up, but before my fingers could wrap around it to get a good grip, four arms encircled me and lifted me up into the air. I could tell from their scent they were Dhampirs, males to be exact. I tried wiggling out of their tight hold, but when I looked down it took all of two seconds to realize they weren't trying to capture or injure me—they were hugging me.

After a moment of hanging there helplessly, I began to feel awkward and shouted, "Hey! What gives," when they still hadn't put me down.

Their arms instantly loosened and I slid between them plopping my feet, ungracefully, back to the ground. The two young men took a step back, giving me a better view of them. One was tall and lanky with bright red hair, and the other was a slightly stockier build with tanned skin and golden locks. They both had matching goofy smiles on their faces that seemed impossible to stay mad at.

"Sorry," the redhead spoke up and I realized he was the one who had called out to me in the field. "We know you're not big on hugs so we knew we'd have to tag team it to get one outta ya."

"The risks were high, but we figured a broken nose or a knee down south would be worth it," the blonde one laughed.

I just stared at them dumbfounded. There was something so familiar about them, but I wasn't exactly sure if I knew them or not.

The redhead flashed his buddy a worried look before saying, "Is something wrong, Rose?"

The other nudged his shoulder and gave him a deliberate look. "Lissa said you might have some trouble with your memories. Sorry if we caught you off guard."

A pouty look formed on the taller Dhampir's face and an image of a young freckled boy immediately popped into my head. I thought back to that series of memories that Adrian had helped me with when I was shooting arrows. I remembered an instance with two of my childhood friends and later saw a vision of what I assumed was them when they were a bit older. Suddenly it all clicked.

"Mason Ashford. Is that really you?"

His eyebrows shot to the edge of his hairline and that carefree grin reappeared.

"Shite it is you," I moved closer and reached a hand out towards his arm. It was like I needed to touch him to make sure that he was really there and not just some Spirit induced vision. I squeezed his bicep, mildly impressed by its size. "When did you get so beefy? You used to be a lank and a half, Ashford. Or should I say, Guardian, now?"

His cheeks took on a pink tint for a moment before returning back to normal. "Been workin' on these bad boys over the years," he lifted up his arm and flexed his muscles showboatingly. "Gotta give the ladies what they want."

"Ha, the only blades that give you attention are the ones too drunk to remember their own names," the blonde chided.

I turned to face him and with one look at that crooked smile, I realized I recognized him as well. "My, my. Edison Castile. As taunting as always."

"The one and only," he puffed his chest out proudly.

I looked between them, delighted to see a couple of friendly faces and even more thrilled that they hadn't been completely wiped from my mind. I flung my arms around their necks and pulled them both in for one more quick hug. "I missed you guys," I whispered into their ears.

When I pulled away, Eddie's eyes were a little wet and I had to swallow hard to keep myself from getting choked up.

"C'mon," Mason grabbed my hand and began leading me towards the wall. "We better get back before your sister has a cow."

"Yeah," Eddie instantly cheered up and draped an arm lazily over my shoulder. "And along the way, you can tell us where the _hell_ you've been, Hathaway."

...

Contrary to what Eddie had said, they didn't pester me with questions about the Western Isles or my time away. Instead, they let me talk about the times I remembered us spending together as kids and filled me in on a couple of rambunctious adventures I had forgotten about. They were all stories of slightly reckless, although harmless fun and by the time we made it back to the palace I was laughing so hard my stomach was starting to cramp.

"Okay, you're making that last one up," I said as I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. "There's no way you convinced goody two shoes Eddie over here to sneak into Kirova's room through her balcony window."

"Hey! Who you callin' goody two shoes," Eddie whined.

"Sure did," Mason bragged. "It was for a scavenger hunt on All Hallows' Eve."

"Ahhh I remember those back during our lessons," I exclaimed.

"Yeah, but the hag caught me and whacked me in the face with a serving tray so I fled before I got to her jewelry box." Eddie rubbed his cheek as if the injury still stung.

"If I remember correctly, it was _you_ who claimed the prize," Mason playfully nudged me with his shoulder.

"To this day, you never told us how you managed to pull it off," Eddie said with a twinge of jealousy, "but the look on Shane's face when you showed up with those hideous cat earrings was bloody priceless."

The three of us began laughing hysterically again and I felt like if we kept it up, I might actually piss myself.

Suddenly, a shrill squeal echoed through the castle entrance loud enough to burst an eardrum.

"What in the—" I flinched.

Before I could finish, a hysterical Natalie began bouncing out of the palace towards us. "Rose, Rose, Rose, dear Vlad Rose it's you! It's really you!"

It seemed that she still was an expert on squeezing out as much as possible before the need for air resurfaced.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there to greet you this morning. I was taking care of my father. Not that I'm sure if it matters because who knows if you even remember me. Do you remember me? Oh, Vlad, I hope so or this would be incredibly awkward."

I couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiastic ramble and gave her a reassuring smile. "Of course I remember you, Natalie. I don't think I could forget you even if I tried."

She rolled her eyes and let out a relieved huff. "Then get over here and hug your cousin you jerk!"

I walked up to her and she immediately wrapped her thin arms around my waist. "Don't ever do that to me again," she whispered against my shoulder. "Without you, it's just me and a house full of bores."

"I'm surprised you survived this long without me," I teased.

She pulled back and gripped my shoulders as she exaggeratedly said, "You have _no_ idea."

She glanced behind me at Mason and Eddie and gave them a friendly wave. "Hey guys! Mind if I steal Rose away for a bit? We have _tons_ to catch up on."

"Of course," Mason politely replied.

"We'll see ya around, Rose," Eddie added.

They began to walk away but I called after them, not wanting to go too long without talking to them again. "How about we meet for dinner later? At the tavern or something?"

"Anything for you, _Princess_ ," Mason folded over in a blundering bow as he continued walking backward.

"Oh sod off, Ashford!" I crossed my arms and feigned irritation.

Eddie let out another warm chuckle and called out, "We'll be there," before they both turned to head off.

Natalie looped her arm around mine and skipped towards the door, dragging me behind. As we walked through the halls she did what she did best: talked and talked and talked. It didn't bother me at all though. Her voice was warm and friendly and reminded me of what Christmas morning would sound like.

As she poured through the details of Lissa's coronation and her plans for the wedding, I couldn't help but think of Daniela. Although Adrian's mother was much more uptight and refined than Natalie, they both seemed to light up when talking about particular details that I tended to find uninteresting. I wondered if this is what Lady Ivashkov used to be like before she was married into that pretentious family.

I let her go on for a good while before I finally decided to interrupt her long-winded anecdote. "Hey Nat."

"Yeah, Rose," she immediately paused whatever she was in the middle of and looked over at me with her big doe eyes.

"I'm surprised I haven't seen Victor yet. I would've thought he would have wanted to at least see me and meet Adrian," I tried to make my voice light, even though the fact he hadn't been there to greet me stung a little. "You mentioned earlier that you were taking care of him. Has something happened?"

Natalie's fair face paled and her eyes sullenly shifted to the floor. A sinking feeling took over me and I was suddenly afraid of what she might say. One thing was for certain, whatever it was, it wasn't good.

...

I wasn't sure what my present relationship with Victor was like. Last I remembered we were practically family, but who knew what shit was meant to fill those holes in my head.

When we entered his room my nose was hit with the smell of burning herbs. There were so many that I couldn't decipher which ones they were and the overpowering smell made my head start to hurt. I walked through his suite, breathing through my mouth instead of my nose and quietly pushed the door to his bedchambers open.

I looked back to Natalie to make sure it was okay, and she gave me an encouraging nod before walking over to one of the cushioned seats. I'd asked her if I could speak to him alone, and graciously she'd agreed. I left the door cracked in case I needed to call out to her and made my way towards Victor's dresser. The room was dim so I picked up one of the low burning candles and used to it light a few others scattered about.

As I set it down, a creaky voice called out to me, "You've come to haunt me again I see."

I turned around to see Victor lying there with his eyes open, but there was a haze around them that made me wonder if he was truly awake. I carefully approached his side and sat next to him on the bed.

"I've come to see you," I corrected. "How ya doin Vic?"

He let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "You're never too far. Always reminding me." His eyes drifted shut as his features morphed into a distressed scrunch. "My fault. My fault. It's all my fault. I should have never let you leave."

His voice took on a strained, panicked note and I quickly grasped his hand to soothe him. "Nothing's your fault, Victor. I'm here now."

His eyes snapped open, the Jade green suddenly seeming crisper as his focus darted to my hand covering his. He pressed down into the mattress to sit up, pulling his scarlet robe tighter around him as he looked at me with bewilderment. "Can it be," he quietly said as his other hand reached up towards my face.

When his frail fingers made contact with my cheek he let out a sharp gasp. "I thought I was still dreaming. It's you. It's really you."

I nodded, biting my lower lip to hold back tears. "I've come home, Uncle Victor."

"Rose, my dear." A shaky smile wavered across his mouth and he squeezed my hand in his. "They told me you had been found, but I—I didn't believe it."

"Well, I've already beaten death once, who says I can't do it again."

His smile brightened and the crinkles around his eyes deepened. "I'm so happy you're safe and back at home where you belong."

"Me too, Vic." He had no idea how much.

After a few short moments of silence, I decided that he looked much more lucid than before and decided to ask him about more serious matters from my time away. "I heard about the attack from the humans. I still can't believe they would go this far."

"Yes," Victor let out a small sigh and rested his back against the wooden bed frame. "It appears the Sage King has resorted to extremes to find his missing daughter. The poor girl."

"But why would he think she was here," I asked.

He looked ahead at the candles surrounding his room and contemplatively shook his head. "I don't know, Rose. It's hard to say."

I had hoped for a better answer than that. From what I remembered, the Sage King was extreme in his views of our society, but I wouldn't really call him crazy. And to attack us unprovoked was definitely nuts. It didn't seem right, but then again, maybe something had happened that finally drove the man mad.

"I am so incredibly proud of how your sister was able to handle herself during all of this though," Victor's lighter tone pulled me out of my thoughts to focus back on him. "She and Guardian Belikov were truly remarkable."

"Guardian Belikov?" My brows scrunched at the mention of the surly Dhampir. "I hadn't realized he'd played such a valuable role."

"Oh yes," Victor turned to me wide-eyed. "We could very well still be under siege without him. He took charge in not only strategy behind the troops but also in managing the council, which we all know isn't an easy feat." He let out a warm chuckle, but I wasn't sure if I was in on the joke or not. Noticing my slight confusion he took on a more serious note again. "Without him, I don't know what would have become of us. He has truly proven himself to be a loyal protector of our kingdom."

Admittedly, I was a little thrown off. Like many Moroi, Victor wasn't typically one to brag on others. Sure, he would offer his gratitude when necessary, but it was always polite and to the point. But now, here he was sitting beside me practically kissing the ground walked on by someone I considered a stranger. A rather unpleasant one at that.

"Well," I awkwardly started, "he must have great experience in defeating his enemies to have gained such success over the invaders."

Then, out of nowhere a dark look crossed over Victor's face and although his eyes still seemed sharp, his words took on that far-off timbre again. "Not all of our enemies are outside these walls, Rose."

His hand latched around my forearm and squeezed it until it was almost painful. There was something crazed about his actions, but not in the same way as when I'd first walked in. "Victor. Is everything ok—"

"Rose," Natalie called out from the door. She glanced between Victor and I and with one look at his jarred state her shoulders stiffened and her face turned into a worried wash.

"Oh dear, not this again," she mumbled under her breath as she rushed towards us. "Father, I think it's time you got some rest."

Victor's eyes darted wildly between us as he began spouting, "Our enemies are everywhere. You can't be too careful who you trust."

Natalie had to practically pry his hand off of me as she tried to settle him. "Hush now, everything's alright."

I rose off the bed and stood behind Natalie's back as she softly cooed to him. As he gazed at his daughter he seemed to slowly relax enough to lay back down, but I could still hear him rambling nonsense under his breath. When he was calm enough to leave alone, Natalie got up as well and walked me out of the room.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," she said with her head hanging low. "Sometimes he's perfectly normal, and others he snaps into this sort of crazed trance."

I tilted my head to peek at her face and noticed there were dark circles under her eyes and she seemed slightly paler than I'd initially noticed. The poor girl must have been worried sick for her father. I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a small squeeze, "It's really decent of you to be taking such good care of him Nat. I'm sure he appreciates it more than you know."

She sniffled a little before looking up at me with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Rose. That means a lot coming from you."

"What do you mean," I asked.

"You were always the one taking care of everyone else," she shrugged. "It's just nice to hear. That's all."

I was about to ask her again to clarify—still unsure entirely what she meant—when she perked up and said, "Oh, I almost forgot. A Guardian came by to tell you that Lissa was looking for you. I think she's in the library with Lord Ivashkov now if you want to join them."

I couldn't help my nose from scrunching at the mention of the _library_ , but it had only been a few hours since I'd last seen her and I already missed Lissa. "Yeah sure," I looped my arm around Nat's. "Let's go."

* * *

 **A/N:** It's about time Rose got some friends back in her life ;)

Thanks for reading!


	40. Chapter 40

**Part 2 Chapter 40**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Casino (Bad Thing) by Houndmouth,** **Take on Me by Anni B Sweet**

Over the next week, I found myself feeling out of place more often than not.

Surprisingly I had been spending a lot of my time with Natalie. Lissa and Adrian were so excited about sharing their knowledge of Spirit they were constantly holding sessions when Lissa was able to get away from her royal responsibilities. Not that I blamed them, I could see how much they were learning from each other and how thrilling it was to them, but for me...it was boring as hell.

Don't get me wrong, Lissa's ability to heal someone was one of the most miraculous things I would probably ever witness and it still baffled me how Adrian could enter your dreams or get a read on someone just from the invisible space around them. But watching Adrian stare at a plant for hours trying to make it grow and lounging around indoors as Lissa squinted frustratingly at the air above our heads was beyond dull.

Some days I would find a spark of entertainment by watching Lord Ozera fume with jealousy. It was comical how annoyed by Adrian he was. It was like just him being there was enough to set Christian off. I heard he was a fire user and was just waiting for one of Adrian's sarcastic comments to finally get him to set the books around us ablaze.

The High Constable would join us every once in a while and I'd hoped it would give me a chance to get to know him better, but so far the only thing I'd come to know was his back. It was probably in my head, but I could've sworn he was purposely avoiding me. There were times I'd walk into a room and it was like a silent siren went off, sending him straight out. Other times when I was already around and there was something he needed to talk to Lissa about, he'd keep his back towards me until it was time for him to leave again. Either he really was super busy, or he really hated my guts.

I never really cared that much about what people thought of me before, I was comfortable in my own skin and if people didn't like it then they could fuck off—but for some reason, this guy's clear disinterest bothered me.

Eventually, I started doing my own thing. As much as I wanted to spend time with Lissa, I needed an escape. I'd try to meet up with Eddie and Mason when they were off shift, or hang out with Natalie and listen to her unfiltered gossip. Sometimes I'd take pleasure in just wandering around the castle halls alone, becoming reacquainted with the home I'd been away from.

After an especially boring session, I decided to do just that. It wasn't more than five minutes of Adrian explaining how he initiated Spirit dreams for the umpteenth time when I hopped up from the table and used hunger as an excuse to leave them alone.

I ventured over to the kitchens to help myself. The servants had already gotten used to me rummaging around and snatching food unannounced, so I could only assume it was a previous habit I'd picked back up on.

I strolled out of the kitchens with an apple in my mouth and a block of cheese in my hand feeling somewhat rejuvenated when my shoulder slammed into another body. I bit down on the apple to keep it from flying out of my mouth, but the cheese was a lost cause.

I let out a muffled groan as it rolled across the floor, bidding it a silent farewell. I looked over my shoulder to see a distracted looking Christian standing there as he gruffly pushed out a, "Sorry."

I was unconvinced.

I crunched the rest of the way through the apple and let it fall into my hand as I chewed on the enormous bite. "What crawled up your ass and died?"

"Excuse me," he looked over to me with scrunched brows. I thought he might actually fight back and make this conversation somewhat interesting, but once he realized it was me that he ran into his eyes widened and his stance turned more nervous than pissed.

I wasn't in the mood for yet another awkward conversation and was hellbent on having a little fun with the guy, so I opted for my signature sass. "Oh, my apologies, Lord Ozera," I smirked sarcastically. "I should never have addressed such an esteemed member of the royal family in an unruly manner."

"Alright, cool it with that," he said, looking a bit more relaxed.

I tossed my apple into my other hand and took a smaller bite. "So let me guess, Adrian's got you all hot and bothered yet again?"

"That's not really how I'd describe it," he crinkled his nose, "but in a sense, yes."

I just stared at him silently waiting for him to explode and after a few seconds, I got my wish. He threw his hands in the air almost hysterically and let out a frustrated growl. "Does he always have to be so _on_? It's like he gets off on putting on this constant show. He's so...so—"

"Charming, witty, charismatic?" I would never call him any of those things to his face, Adrian's ego was already large enough without my help, but the massive eye roll it earned me was well worth it.

"I was going to go with irritating." Christian crossed his arms over his chest while simultaneously puffing it out. "And he's always so obsessed with spending time with Lissa. ' _Lissa, let's try working on this. Lissa, do you need help with that?'_ I swear if he lays one finger on her I'll—"

As amusing as his impersonations of Adrian were, I decided to put the poor guy out of his misery before he lit himself on fire. "Oh, will you lighten up. He's not into her, okay? They just have some weird, cosmic connection through Spirit."

"Cosmic connection?!"

"Ugh, not like that ya wally. He just wants to learn from her, the exact same way that Lissa wants to learn from him. And besides, even if he was into her it's totally obvious how much she adores you. It's sickening really."

He let out the closest thing to a laugh I'd heard from him before sighing, "Gee, thanks."

"Of course, your Lordship," I gave him a pitiful excuse for a curtsy, "I only wish to please you."

He gave me another record-breaking eye roll and shook his head. Now that he wasn't spiraling with jealousy, I decided to use the opportunity to my advantage. It was time to fish for information.

"Speaking of guys with sticks up their asses," the Moroi lord cocked a warning brow at me, "what's up with the High Constable? Is he always so...austere?"

"You mean Dimitri," he corrected.

"Yeah. Like I said."

"Don't call him that. He doesn't like it, and most certainly wouldn't like hearing it from you." It didn't escape my notice that he was avoiding my question, but the seriousness that suddenly took over him had me more intrigued.

"Why?"

"Modesty maybe? I don't know, he just doesn't like it."

"No," I took a step closer and crossed my arms. "Why wouldn't he like being called that especially by me? What does it matter what I call him?"

Christian stared at me for a beat. I could tell there was something burning on the tip of his tongue that he was trying really hard not to let out. I narrowed my gaze, hoping he'd crack but instead, he swallowed it down and said, "Just don't okay? I gotta grab some water before your boyfriend makes a pass at Lissa while I'm gone."

"Hmm, you've been gone, what, five minutes? They're probably at least making out by now."

"Damnit, Rose don't joke like that."

"Who says I was joking? He can be rather seducing when he wants to be."

"What happened to 'lighten up, he's not into her'?" His impression of me was even more comical than the one of Adrian.

"What, you've never made out with someone out of boredom? And let me tell you, that guy's attention span is even shorter than mine. He probably got _bored_ a few seconds after you left," I teased, wiggling my brows.

"Gah, you're annoying."

I was only pulling his leg, that should have been obvious, but the way he rushed into the kitchens to get that pitcher of water made me think otherwise.

Leaving the human fireball to his fuming, I skipped down the halls, crunching into my apple idly. On these strolls, I often tried to use my senses to spark some memories that were lost. I let my fingers drag along the walls, reveling in the cool stone surface as opposed to the brittle paper that lined the Ivashkov's palace. I envisioned other times I had walked down these very halls until I ran into an impasse and my mind went blank. Rather than getting frustrated about it and kicking the damn wall until my foot was sore, I tried my best to stay focused like Adrian had taught me.

I tossed my apple core in a nearby waste bin and concentrated harder on the details of the hall. There was a distinct mineral smell blended with various aromas from the kitchens and rooms. I could hear light bustling about and tried to focus on specific voices to see if one of them would help bring me to a specific moment in time. I thought I was getting to something when a horrible screeching sound echoed from the distance. I stuck my finger in my ear and shook it, trying to get it out but after a few moments, it was gone.

I took in a deep breath and began to concentrate again, but it wasn't long until that pestering noise returned. I tried to ignore it but eventually, it became too distracting. I let out an aggravated groan and went on a mission to track it down. The closer I got, the more abhorrent the noise became. An uncontrollable shudder crept up my spine the same way as when someone scraped their nails against a rocky surface. I shook my head and shoulders as the sound grew louder and realized it was man-made. It was an instrument of some sort, but it was so god awful it was hard to tell what kind.

When I reached the hall that it was echoing loudest down, there were two doors it could have possibly been coming from. I took a chance and went with the one on the left first and brusquely knocked before turning the knob. The noise immediately stopped as the door opened. I poked my head in and looked around, realizing it was someone's chambers. I took a step in without waiting for an invitation but once I discovered whose chamber it was, I immediately regretted it.

The High Constable was sitting at the edge of his bed staring at me tensely. His shoulders were somehow even more rigid than usual and his arms were awkwardly situated behind his back.

I expected him to fuss at me for barging in or yell at me to get out, but when a few moments of unpleasant silence went by I fumbled out, "I—uh, sorry. I didn't know this was your room. I was looking for something."

His eyes began darting around the room, looking at everything in it except for the unwanted Dhampir girl standing in the middle of it.

"Did you happen to hear something? A noise filling the halls?"

"No." His answer was terse and quick, and I immediately knew something was up. Most people would have asked what kind of noise, since hearing absolutely nothing in a crowded palace was highly unlikely unless you were stone-cold deaf.

I leaned to the side to try and see what was behind his back, but his broad frame was blocking whatever he was hiding.

"Are you sure," I pressed, with a singsong note to my voice. I walked to the side and looked over at one of the baron walls while still keeping him in my peripheral view. "It sounded almost like music— _terrible_ music. I'm not sure if one would even call it that, actually."

His shoulders slumped and one of his hands fell forward revealing a small wooden bow. "О, черт побери." I had no idea what he said but could tell I struck a nerve.

"It wasn't that bad," he defended as he other hand came out from behind his back holding a stringed rebec.

"Ha," I flashed him a satisfied grin, proud I'd gotten him to admit it. "I knew it."

He shook his head as he finally rose from the bed and walked over to a cupboard. "Don't act so pleased with yourself, _Your Highness_."

I couldn't help but notice the bite in his tone when he said that—or the subtle scowl that formed across his face. "Why do you say it like that?"

He closed the doors to his cupboard and turned around to face me. "Like what?"

I should have been happy to finally earn his full attention after a week of being on the receiving end of his indifference, but as he stared down at me I couldn't help but feel...small. I saw those brown eyes many times in my dreams and never did they carry the look they held at that moment. I had seen sadness, worry, and the occasional spark of contentment, but the way he looked at me then was more than the basic detachment you'd have for someone you didn't know—it was purposeful.

There was a reason he was treating me this way. A reason why my title sounded like a cavity to him. And without knowing what it was, I felt wronged.

When I finally responded, I meant to say 'like you hate it' but instead, it came out as, "Like you hate me."

If I thought I had struck a nerve before, teasing him about his silly instrument, his reaction to my statement showed an impact I didn't think I was even capable of causing. His face fell, hurt and regret immediately absorbing his features. He had been pretty good about hiding any real emotions from me other than glimpses of annoyance behind that stone-cold disposition, but at that moment he looked so raw that it scared me.

"I'm terribly sorry if I came across that way," he looked to the ground almost shamefully. "I—I could never hate you."

There was a strain in his voice that tugged at my resolve. Even though I had every right to be irritated with how he had been behaving, I quickly found myself regretting bringing it up.

There was a long pause as he seemingly tried to come up with an explanation. "It's just hard sometimes...being around you."

It took me a beat to understand what he was trying to say. I looked at him with his head angled to the ground and thought back to when we first met. He greeted me with a deep bow of respect and acknowledged me in a way that showed he'd known me. Although there were several instances I didn't remember being around some of the people from my kingdom, I realized this was the first person I'd interacted with that I didn't remember a thing about. If we truly did know each other before I'd fallen in the field, then I could see how discouraging it would be to be around someone that behaved as if they didn't know you.

This whole time I'd been wondering why he was doing this to me, that I hadn't been thinking about what I had been doing to him.

"I'm sorry."

He peeked up at me but didn't say anything in response. I didn't blame him. It was hard to tell what my apology was for—I wasn't even entirely sure what it was meant to encompass—but either way, I felt like he deserved one.

"Dimitri?" His chin finally rose and he looked at me head-on. "Were we friends...you know, before?"

He bit the inside of his lip contemplatively before his eyes glanced up in reminiscence. His posture began to relax slightly and a hand came up to run through his long hair. "Not at first," he let out a semblance of a chuckle and something in my stomach fluttered. "But eventually, yes."

I smiled, wishing I could remember what would cause him even the tiniest hint of amusement. "Well, if we were friends then there's no reason why you should call me _Your Highness_ ," I tried my best to mimic his heavy accent. "Unless you prefer I start calling you Sir Belikov," I teased.

He cocked an eyebrow at me emphasizing a small scar above his right eye. I suddenly felt drawn to that small sliver of shimmery skin. Maybe it was because he looked so strong and sturdy that it was hard to believe anything could crack him, but something inside me begged me to pay attention to it.

"That's not necessary," his deep voice pulled me out of my trance and I felt a little embarrassed I'd been standing there staring at him like I'd momentarily become unhinged.

I cleared my throat and took a step towards him. "Good. Then let's make it official," I stuck out my right hand towards him. "Rose."

He looked at my extended arm for a moment as if it was covered in thorns but eventually, he slowly lifted his and responded with, "Dimitri."

.

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: Dream On by Aerosmith, Change by White Lies**

I looked at the rebec sitting on my shelf in my cupboard. It was like I had just relived the first time Rose had caught me playing it. Her teasing tone and sassy remarks were almost enough to make me believe she had really come back, but I wasn't stupid enough to hope for that. Not anymore.

I slammed the door shut, unsure why I'd bothered to look at it again in the first place. _It's not her. She's not yours._

I walked over to my bedroom door and latched the lock in place. I told myself I wished she'd just left me alone, but deep down I knew it was a lie. As painful as it was being near her, it was the most exhilarated I'd felt in a long time.

It was a torturous line I'd been dangling on since she and Lord Ivashkov had arrived. I was constantly on the verge of dreading seeing her again, and longing for the moment when our paths would cross.

I hated myself for resenting her. I should have been thanking the heavens each day for the opportunity to be near her again, regardless if she was no longer mine. It wasn't her fault. But I couldn't help feeling like it was a personal attack.

She was right to confront me. My treatment towards her was disgraceful, but I didn't know how else to handle it. I wanted to do the right thing, but I couldn't help think about how maybe if I'd acted out on the day she returned, things would be different. My mind wandered back to that day, scouring through each tiny detail like some sort of torturous inquest.

/

 _A small puff of smoke wafted through the air as the last candle finally went out. The sun's bright beams were now filling the church so the candles were no longer necessary, but as I watched that last small light snuff out a strange sense of heaviness washed over me. They had been my distraction. Watching them flicker erratically until their flame diminished was just enough to give me a purpose for being there, but now I was faced with the reality that not even the holiest of grounds could provide me sanctuary._

 _I had been going down there almost every night since Vasilisa received the letter from the Western Isles. I wasn't sure what to pray for, but I also was too afraid to hope._

"Is it possible someone could have copied it?" _Mason had asked._

"If they did, what would be their motive?" _Eddie barked back._

 _The Queen refused to believe any disputes about its authenticity and told them that even if someone could have copied her handwriting letter for letter, there was no way they would have been able to get enough samples to work off of._

 _I wanted nothing more than to believe her, but it terrified me._

 _She was so convinced that Rose was alive, so that alone should have been enough for me as well. But I feared that if it was a lie and the Queen was just blinded by her desire for her sister's return, the disappointment would be unbearable._

 _The door to the abbey creaked open behind me and I turned to see who else would be seeking refuge at such an odd hour. To my surprise, it was the Queen herself._

 _I began to stand from the pew but she gently motioned me to remain seated. I obeyed and waited for her to walk down the aisle to join me. Once she was seated she bowed her head and mumbled a short prayer under her breath as her hand crossed from the tip of her head and along her torso._

" _I'm sorry to have disturbed you," she softly said when she was finished._

" _There was nothing to interrupt," I replied._

 _We sat there quietly for a moment and I could feel her jade eyes narrowing at me worriedly. I didn't want to cause her any more anxiety than she was already dealing with. It was my duty to keep her safe and I needed to appear strong in order for her to have full confidence in my ability to, but when she finally spoke I knew my inner struggles had been revealed._

" _I'm afraid too."_

 _I opened my mouth to tell her I wasn't afraid, that everything was fine, but there was no point in lying to her—on top of lying to myself._

" _I know not everyone is convinced about the letter, you being one of them. I've heard the whispers that people think I'd be crazy to believe such a tall tale."_

" _Vasilisa, I—" I straightened up and turned to her, wanting her to know that I would never doubt her mental stability. With her ties to Spirit, I knew it was a sensitive topic and something that she feared, but before I could abate anything she raised a hand to silently interrupt me._

" _You have every right to be skeptical, Dimitri. Not only because it's your responsibility as High Constable to question things such as these, but also because it's just who you are."_

 _She let out a small sigh and ran her hands down her face as an attempt to wash her uncertainties away. "I'm still certain the letter is from her, but what if—what if when she returns she's not really her? What if she's changed?"_

 _I had scoured over the letter many times. Supposedly, this Rose's physical wounds had healed, but mentally she was struggling with remembering a lot of details about her life. It sounded like a clever way for an imposter to get around not knowing all the details of the part she was meant to play, but if this Rose was real and truly on her way back home Vasilisa was right to worry. Would she be the same person she was before? Would she even remember who that girl was?_

" _Regardless of what she remembers," I calmly said, "with what she's been through there's no doubt that she'll be changed. Only time will tell us how much that is."_

 _Vasilisa nodded and I could tell my words didn't necessarily ease her worries, but the logic behind them was at least better to focus on rather than the emotional aspect._

 _We both turned our attention to the stained glass windows at the front of the abbey and mindlessly stared at them, each searching for answers that we'd never receive. After a while, I finally broke away and began to rise again. "We should go. I'm sure Christian will be wondering where you are soon if he isn't already."_

 _The young Queen smiled and tilted her head to the entrance of the church. "He's actually outside waiting. You really think he'd let me out of his sight at an hour such as this?"_

 _I let out a knowing hum and we both began making our way to leave. Then, without warning, the watchman's horn blared through one of the nearby windows sending my heart into my stomach. Chris barged into the room and we stood there still as the statues lining the pews, silently counting the sounds. Two blasts signaled strangers approaching and we all let out a small sigh in relief that it wasn't something worse._

 _Vasilisa turned to me anxiously as she said, "Do you think it's them?"_

" _Already?" Chris turned to glance over his shoulder as if he could somehow spot the oncomers._

 _As those sounds from the horn echoed throughout the towering room, I tried my best to stay composed, even though my body felt like it would split in half from all the contradicting emotions running through me. After a few seconds of stilled shock, I finally reacted and burst into the street. I grabbed the first few Guardians I could find and ordered them to take the Queen back to the castle._

" _Do not leave her side until she is safe indoors and keep constant guards outside her chambers," I turned to the Moroi couple and attempted to smooth out my voice from commanding to insistent. "Wait inside until we receive word of who it is. I'll go down to check it out."_

 _Vasilisa nodded, her jade eyes wide in an almost panicked manner. I should have probably said something comforting to keep her calm, especially after just recently earning our freedom back from human invaders, but I couldn't wait another minute. I raced down the streets as fast as my legs would carry and made it over to the wall in record time. Orders had already been given to set up men all around the perimeter and I was grateful they were working self-sufficiently. Rose really had trained them well._

 _Passage had already been granted upon the Ivashkov Lord's arrival, but our men were keeping a close eye on his party. I asked the Guardian on duty if the princess was with them, but he was unsure. He said there was a rather large group and they all immediately headed towards the markets before he could spot her. I wanted to shake him for not taking a closer look before letting them through, but it was the first time in a while our gates had been open freely to allow people to come in and out of the market for trade, so there had been masses of visitors coming in at all hours the past couple of days._

 _I ignored any apology he tried to come up with and rushed back down to the streets. I spotted a couple of rough-looking men that matched the description the guard had spotted with the Moroi Lord. I moved forward carefully without making my presence known at first so I could get an idea of what we were dealing with. When I made my way to the bulk of the group they were already in the busier area of the market. I had to awkwardly maneuver between merchants and behind some of the stands set up. I was beginning to get frustrated with the crowd when all of a sudden I caught a glimpse of something familiar._

 _Dark brown, almost black hair entwined into thick braids._

 _I thought for a second I was hallucinating, but anticipation and excitement took over my body. I rushed forward, stumbling over a couple of wicker baskets. A few men stepped into my line of sight and instead of watching where I was going I tried desperately not to lose sight of what I thought I saw and knocked into a travel-sized chicken coop. Feathers flew up around me and I tried to swat them out of my face as squawks filled the air. The tent merchant yelled at me with his fist in the air and I called a half-assed apology over my shoulder without tearing my eyes away._

 _The crowd parted again and I spotted more of the girl this time. She was Rose's height and build, but I still couldn't see her face. I looked over to her right and spotted a tall Moroi man looking around at the various tents and carts. He must have been Lord Ivashkov. I knew I'd found the right posse and noticed a smaller group of our men watching them off to the side. I made my way over to them, deftly stepping around the merchants this time. When I reached them I didn't bother asking for a report, I patiently waited for the group to continue moving forward, keeping my eyes fixed on the girl in the distance. She looked over her shoulder where I had just been standing and tugged on the sleeve of her dress. It was like she had felt my gaze._

 _Rose always seemed to know when I was near, no matter how stealthy I tried to be. I wasn't sure how she managed to do so, but she never failed. I was beginning to think I was coming up with excuses to make it true, to make this girl Rose. It was probably a coincidence that she looked behind her. If the Ivashkovs brought an imposter, I needed to be ready to deal with it. But that didn't stop my heart from pounding in my chest as the girl slowly turned around._

 _The words Yeva scrolled in her letter flashed to the forefront of my mind,_ "The Rose you loved is gone."

She's never wrong. No matter how desperately you want her to be, that isn't her.

 _Her gaze was fixed on the ground, but a few small details began to snuff out that voice in my head. Her hand snaked up behind her neck and began rubbing an imaginary spot there, reminding me of the many times my Rose had done the same when she was trying to work out a problem. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds to shoot a warm beam straight to her back and I could see her shoulders move in sync with a contented sigh. The girl's face tilted up towards it and suddenly...time stopped._

 _To those that didn't know her, they could most likely argue that it was just another Dhampir girl with a pretty face; we couldn't be sure it was really Rose until we questioned her—but I knew. Instantly, I knew. Beauty and confidence could be replicated, but those eyes...those were the eyes of Rose Hathaway. It wasn't just the well-known deep brown color, but it was what was behind them. I could see even from my post in the distance that entrancing fire constantly burning. Behind her were ashes, ahead of her wood, and only she would decide what engulfed in her glorious flames. That fire sparked a million reactions within me and ignited sensations that I couldn't control._

 _The speed of my heart interchanged from stopping and racing. My mind went blank then a flood of memories rushed through it, bringing a new emotion with each one. My cold limbs tingled with warmth as I pictured Rose grinning at me from above after pinning me down during a sparring match. My ribs ached when I thought about the night she had ended things between us in my tent. The moment we met and the last time I'd seen her face somehow molded into one twisted memory making my eyes sting and my head pound._

 _I took in a sharp inhale and it felt like hours since my last breath. Rose,_ my Roza _was here. Was alive. Every part of me told me to run towards her and scoop her up in my arms, to never let go of her again, but I couldn't. I was frozen in place. So much was happening inside me all at once that I became completely immobile. My limbs tried to start working for me; my legs made tiny steps towards her before backing away cowardly, but my mind couldn't catch up. It was screaming a thousand different things at me all at once, and before I could decide what to do...there she was, right in front of me._

 _I straightened up, hoping I didn't look like I hadn't slept in days as her gorgeous face turned towards our small party. A face that I never thought I'd see again. A face that equally haunted and enhanced my dreams each night. She glanced at the men behind me, her eyes quickly scanning us one by one. I waited for what seemed like a century for them to finally land on me, anticipating the look on her face when we were finally reunited, but as they brushed over me...nothing happened. She looked at me as if I was just another soldier. Not even that. Guardians were not only her allies but her novices, her colleagues...her friends. But the way she looked at us—looked at me—it was as if we were nothing but strangers._

 _As the Ivashkov Lord approached her side, I thought maybe she was putting up a front until she was officially back in the castle. Maybe she didn't want to offend him after he'd spent the last two weeks getting her home, but when she offered no secret smile or consoling look in our direction, I realized the truth._

 _She wasn't pretending I was just another passerby on the street, I_ was _just another stranger to her. She didn't remember me._

 _I suddenly felt like the hole in my chest that Vasilisa had healed burst open. I was completely raw. So worn and battered that a simple breeze could slice my skin like razors. And then, every part of me hardened._

 _As she walked away, I didn't think I could be in any more shock, until I saw who she was walking towards. I realized I had been so distracted by seeing her again that I didn't even notice who she was there with. It was a man that I knew of well. A snake in the grass better known as Zmey in my homeland. Abe Mazur._

 _She spoke to him with a familiarity that boiled my racing pulse. Here she was, completely ignoring her true allies standing idly by while she conversed with one of the most deceitful men in our world. Vasilisa had been right to worry. This Rose was a completely different person._

 _When it appeared they were breaking off, one of the men behind me leaned in and asked, "Orders, sir?"_

 _I barely heard him above the sound of my teeth grinding as I watched Zmey and his men head in the opposite direction. "Tell the Queen the Princess has arrived. I'm going to check things out with our other_ guests."

 _Following Zmey around the kingdom was nothing but a distraction from my longing thoughts of Rose. A feeble one at that. The longer she was out of my sight, the more a pulling feeling at my back tried to yank me to the castle._

 _His group finally settled on a tavern at the far end of the kingdom. The scene was all too familiar seeing him in a place like that acting like he already owned it. The only difference was people didn't fear him in the way they did back home. I supposed his reputation hadn't spread quite that far, and could only hope he didn't eventually give our people reason to be afraid._

 _His men were a bit rougher than the company he usually kept. I heard a slam across the room as one of the more robust of them called out in victory. Another scrawny one rubbed his wrist with a sour look on his face as bearded Dhampir slapped his back with a laugh. It reminded me of a time I had been in a similar position with some of our trainees. I could almost hear Rose's admonishing voice reigning down on me, but couldn't expect her anywhere near here. I watched them for a while, trying to sniff out some clue as to why they were there but eventually that tug became impossible to ignore._

 _That brief memory sparked an idea and I marched over to Dougal hovering at the entrance. "Keep an eye on them and notify me immediately if anything changes." I glanced over my shoulder to see Zmey quietly sitting at the bar alone, sipping on his drink. I guess he wasn't feeling as boastful as his men. "If that one goes anywhere, you make sure to follow him."_

 _Dougal nodded in response without taking his stern gaze off the band of pirates. I should have stayed and kept an eye on them for a while longer, or at least confronted Zmey as to how long they would be in St. Vald's but my sense of duty was overshadowed by_ her _. As I made my way back I thought maybe if I showed her who she was, if I kissed her, if I did something to piss her off, hell, anything that would jostle her enough to remember something, then maybe there was a chance._

 _I cut through one of the servants' entrances and made my way towards the Queen's chambers. I thought about the first time we'd kissed and how that slap across the face still stung the next day, but I would take a stab in the gut from one of her hidden daggers to see that recognition in her eyes._

 _I was about halfway to Vasilisa's quarters when I heard voices coming from the opposite direction. I went over to the balcony and could see them gathered downstairs. I should've known she wouldn't wait for Rose to be brought to her upon hearing that she'd returned._

 _I slipped down the stairs, making sure not to interrupt their conversation. As badly as I wanted to rush at her this time, it wouldn't be right to take that moment away from Vasilisa. I waited in the shadows for an opportune moment. The Ivashkov lord began to speak and the way he looked at Rose caused that simmering anger to rise again. They were so familiar with one another as if he was not only an escort to get her here, but a friend. Of course I was jealous. Over the past months, I had been denied of her where he had endless opportunities to spend time with her, get to know her, be near her. But it didn't matter. I couldn't dwell on that, not now. He and Vasilisa began conversing and I saw my opening. I moved out of the shadows, ready to confront her, to show her and all of these people who I was to her...who she was to me._

 _And that's when I saw it._

 _Her left hand brushed over her arm as she watched him and Vasilisa and a small speck of light shot me in the heart. The sight of it sent me staggering and I pressed my back into the wall facing away from them. I tried to control my breaths but it felt like the morning I woke up to find her gone all over again._

 _She accepted._

 _She agreed to marry him._

 _The image of that ring on her finger completely marred the words she'd told me our last night together. She told me she was turning it down, that she chose me—chose_ us.

Maybe she'd done it as a bargaining chip to get her here?

 _As badly as I wished that was true, Rose wasn't the type of person to use people like that—to toy with someone for her own personal gain._

 _Their voices grew quiet and I realized they must have heard me. I wanted to run away from them and hide in my chambers, but then what would she think of me? What would Vasilisa think? No, I had to face them._

 _I tried to settle my emotions so that I could seem somewhat unaffected, but it was pointless. I couldn't go out there and pretend like everything was fine and engage in polite conversation—so instead, I turned them off. I closed off any trace of feelings I had behind a stone mask and forced myself off that wall._

 _/_

I decided at that moment to step aside. She didn't remember me. She didn't love me. At first, I struggled with the fact that I was keeping something from her—we had never kept secrets from each other before—but it was for the best.

Vasilisa confronted me about it, several times, but I made her promise me not to tell Rose anything about us. It would be pointless for us both to feel this way. Now that she was home, I couldn't justify telling her something that would either confuse her or cause her the same pain that I was suffering. To do so would be selfish.

Before she met me, she was willing to uphold the duty that came with her name and help advance the Dragomir line. When she decided to give that up for us, she was not only turning her back on her responsibilities, but her family as well. I remembered how hard it had been for her to confront Victor and the amount of pressure she feared would be put on Vasilisa in response. It was better this way. The way it should have always been.

Christian told me to "stop playing the fucking martyr and tell her", but I knew he was also looking for an excuse to get rid of Adrian. He couldn't stand him, and as much as I disliked him for my own reasons, Vasilisa wanted him around. I wanted to keep an eye on her since I still didn't fully trust him, but that meant seeing more of Rose.

There were times when she wasn't aware of my presence that I couldn't help but stare at her. It still baffled me that she was actually there. But I couldn't bear looking at her when we were in the same room, knowing that there would be no love in her eyes once they met mine.

I knew what she was doing when she confronted me in my room that night. She was trying to be my friend. She used to tease me in the past to get information out of me and being caught off guard, it worked again. I should have been more careful. I couldn't be her friend. Not with how unstable she already made me feel.

But then I thought about what she'd said, " _Like you hate me._ "

I slammed my fist into my desk furious with myself. Giving her space to live her life was one thing, but making her think I hated her? What the fuck was I doing?!

My mind toggled back and forth between rationales.

 _I can't be friends with Rose. Not with the constant reminder that we used to be more._

 _But at the same time, this isn't the same Rose...not really. Maybe I could try to be more with this version of her._

 _Who are you kidding? You can barely look at her!_

Fed up with the indecisiveness, I grabbed my cloak off the back of my chair and headed out of my room in search of someone else I'd been putting off talking to. There was a snake still lurking within St. Vladimir's walls and it was time I paid him a visit.

* * *

 **A/N** : Sorry for the brief hiatus. I'm rounding into my 7th month of pregnancy and feel like half my brain is gone, so this chapter was especially challenging. Not only did it go through endless rewrites, but there was even one point where I attempted to scrap the entire DPOV and just write it in Letters to Roza...needless to say that didn't work out lol. Thanks for hanging in there and keeping up with the story! This is an extra super-duper long one for those out there still reading.

Translations:

О, черт побери - oh, for fuck's sake


	41. Chapter 41

**Part 2 Chapter 41**

 **DPOV**

 **Song: Venus in Furs by The Velvet Underground**

It was surreal being in that tavern. It reeked of stale ale and sour wine. After I received the news of Rose's death, I spent several nights there trying to drown out anything and everything that reminded me of her. That was until Vasilisa literally slapped me with a hard dose of reason.

Since then I was hellbent on proving my dedication to her. I hadn't slipped up once, although with the recent events it was awfully tempting. But instead of falling back into my old habits, I knew I had to push myself further and maintain the trust I had finally built up with our Queen.

After glancing around the room for the second time, I was starting to think the Guardian had given me the wrong place. Then a voice slithered over from behind me. "I was wondering when you'd finally seek me out."

I turned around to see a shadowed silhouette sitting in a dark corner. There was room at the table for at least four, but he was alone. He lifted his hand up and gestured me over to him, the light catching one of his large gold cufflinks. I walked over and took a seat at the table, knowing I had found the man I was looking for.

"So, Belikov," he lifted up a pitcher beside him and began to pour some wine. "Apologies, I hear it's High Constable now."

Zmey moved another cup towards me and began to pour into it as well, but I moved my hand over it and shook my head. He paused for a moment with the pitcher still hanging in the air, then he set it down to reveal a sinuous smile as he finally moved forward into the light. "My, my. Things _have_ changed."

It didn't surprise me that he would know such things about my past. Even though we had only officially met on one other occasion, the man was notorious for collecting secrets and rumors.

I ignored his baiting and remained impassive. He stared at me for one more lingering glance, as if I could somehow be tempted by his proud demeanor then relaxed into a more casual countenance.

"Well, I assume you've come here to speak with me about the return of your Princess."

I knew he didn't mean it in any particular way, but hearing her called _my_ Princess had my jaw twitching. "I'm wondering why you haven't made yourself available to see the Queen yet. I thought you would have wanted to speak to her by now after returning her sister to her."

Zmey looked at the back of his hand, inspecting it as he nonchalantly said, "I'm just biding my time. If the Queen wanted to meet with me she would have asked. I'm sure she and the Princess have much to catch up on and who am I to get in the way of a family reunion?"

"I'd be willing to hear your demands on her behalf then so you and your men no longer have to wait around idly."

"We actually quite like it here," he grinned at a table of his men eating their dinner. I glanced over my shoulder at them and the shared scowl on each of their faces as porridge slopped off one of their spoons back into the wooden bowl told me they didn't "like" St. Vladimir's as much as Mazur was leading on. "We aren't in any hurry to leave. And besides, who said anything about demands?"

"I assume you wish repayment for your resources. We know getting the Princess here was not an easy feat. There must be a cost you already have in mind."

"Why, Belikov," his thick brows scrunched together with feigned confusion. "I'm shocked you would think so little of me. I have not come here to take advantage of a young, impressionable Queen."

I took a deep inhale through my nose to keep my aggravation concealed. "So if not money, then what is it that you wish?"

"I only wish for the girl to be safe at home where she belongs." He smiled at me again, but something about the way his mouth curved into that crooked arch made it seem like he was laughing at me. As if there was an inside joke that I wasn't privy to yet.

"Why did you help her? If the Queen's favor isn't something you seek, then what's in it for you?"

"I find her...interesting. There's something special about her. Wouldn't you agree?"

I ignored yet another one of his leading questions and asked through gritted teeth, "I don't mean to offend, but what are you still doing here, then?"

He leaned back in his seat and casually draped his arm over the empty chair beside him. "I'm waiting for someone."

I was about to ask who when he quickly cut in, "The Princess has given me her blessing to stay as long as I want, so it should be of no consequence to you." Zmey took a sip of his wine as he glanced over to the door. "If you have an issue with it, then maybe you should bring it up with your charming ruler. Although, from what I can tell she doesn't seem like the type of person who enjoys having her authority questioned."

That crooked smile returned. I hated hearing him talk about Rose as if he knew her. It disgusted me.

His dark eyes narrowed at me as if he was waiting for some kind of reaction out of me, but I refused to give him the satisfaction. My stature remained hard and cold as I pushed down the ugly thoughts he was causing.

His hands slammed onto the table excitedly and his relaxed expression was restored. "Well, now that that's settled..tell me, how is your mother Olena?"

/

My teeth and jaw were sore from the constant grinding since I had left the tavern.

How could Rose ally with such a man? Those who knew of his reputation knew he was deceitful, greedy, and above all, untrustworthy. Even if she hadn't heard of him before, surely she had the sense to see that.

When their party first arrived, the look she had given him was stirring. I wouldn't say it was a look of trust, but acceptance at the very least. I began to think about how the Rose I knew would have never relied on someone like Zmey so willingly. She was smarter than that. But the way he talked about her, as if he knew her, had me thinking this new Rose was either naive...or blind.

I knew everything I was thinking was irrational, it wasn't her fault that she didn't remember or had changed while she was gone, but I'd used up what little rationale I had left during my discussion with Abe and the thoughts kept coming. _Why didn't she try harder? Why did she give in so easily? She'd completely changed without putting up a fight, without giving us a chance._

Zmey was right, if she had given him permission to stay then it was an issue I needed to bring up with her, but now it was the last thing I wanted to do.

As Marshall, she accepted my honest opinion even if it went against hers. In fact, more often than not she encouraged it. She never saw herself as being above the other Dhampir, despite her royal title. But if she wanted to play the part of Princess...then so be it.

.

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Dance Yrself Clean by MS MR, Something I Learned Today by Husker Du**

I stretched and flexed my fingers at my side before shaking them to try and get the tingle out. It had been over 24 hours and I could still feel it.

Pricks of lightning. That's what Dimitri's touch had felt like.

As soon as my skin made contact with his, those little jolts shot through me. I only shook his hand for a moment, but its lingering effects were still haunting me.

Maybe it was just because I hadn't been around Dhampir in a while. We were typically more warm-blooded than Moroi.

But it didn't feel like that when I touched Mason and Eddie.

I decided to stop obsessing over it and focus on where I was going so I didn't run into another random passerby. Lissa and Adrian were meeting again to work on Spirit and Natalie was visiting her father, so I decided to take a walk around the kingdom. I had originally planned to venture over to the market or one of the taverns I had met my friends at a few times, but when I walked out I spotted an area I hadn't been down to yet.

It was probably a bad idea. I could almost hear Daniela's scolding voice in the back of my mind. But she was miles and miles away, and even though I knew her reasons were probably 70 percent my recovery and 30 percent "what would people think," I didn't have to listen to her anymore. Not here.

So I made my way over to the Guardian training grounds.

Most of the Guardians seemed a little uneasy around me still, so I tried my best to keep a low profile. I realized that even if I hid my face, a random maiden walking around the training camp was probably still suspicious on its own, so I walked behind some of the barriers and stayed in the shadows.

It was surprisingly well lit for the middle of the night. There were torches lining the grounds and the occasional fire pit stationed for those gathering to get warm. The more I walked around, the more fascinated I became. There were piles of weapons stacked up at various stations, logs and other provisional targets filled with sizeable holes, and a distinct smell of dirt and sweat filling the air. I couldn't understand why, but everything about it felt so...so comfortable.

I heard some scuffling noises off in the distance and snuck my way over towards them. There were a couple of haystacks piled up around a makeshift ring and I stayed behind them to avoid detection as I got a closer look.

There were three of them. They were fighting—or practicing maybe. It was hard to tell at first with lightning-fast limbs constantly flying at the other, but every once in awhile there would be a small cheer when a hit landed or a taunting laugh when one missed. It only took a few moments for me to recognize the three men. It was Eddie, Mason, and Dimitri.

I watched in awe as they circled around each other, trading blows. Eddie and Mason were on the offensive trying to take down Dimitri, but he was fast—unbelievably fast.

You would think a guy of that size would be all power and minimal movement, but no. He was incredible. I became frozen in place as I watched him duck below Mason's swing while simultaneously throwing a blow in Eddie's direction. The two of them were winded, giving him everything they had and despite the uneven odds, Dimitri remained perfectly composed. Hell, he looked like he could go on another few hours where my friends were on the verge of collapse.

As the two of them recovered, readying themselves for their next joint-maneuver I caught the tiniest glint of mischief in Dimitri's eye. Excitement buzzed through me at what he was planning and I moved out of the shadows to get the full view. Just as I stepped out he crouched down and swung his leg under Eddie's feet, sending him careening to his back. Before he stood up, Mason pounced at him, but anticipating his move Dimitri reached behind him just as my fiery friend made contact and flung him over his shoulders, sending him straight to the ground beside Eddie.

A memory of two Moroi girls I had laid out in a similar manner popped into my head. Back at the Western Isles, I had felt ashamed. Like I had done something wrong by standing up for myself in that way. But looking at my friends on the ground, that memory now brought me joy.

I stuck two of my fingers in my mouth and blew down to let out a jeering whistle, applauding when three heads quickly turned in my direction. "Bravo!"

"Rose," Eddie smiled at me as he propped himself up by his elbows. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was about to ask you two the same thing. I thought this was supposed to be some kind of fight, but you wallies seem to be spending the majority of it from the flats of your backs."

Mason hopped up and brushed some of the moist dirt off his tunic. "There's no end of shite-talk out of you."

"Hey, I'm just pointing out the obvious," I smirked. "You'd think with two against one you'd at least get a decent hit in. Is this really who we've entrusted to keep our walls safe?"

"Ha! If that's the way you want to go, then c'mon. Pick up a sword and we'll settle it. I bet with your months out of practice and that skirt of yours, the odds are about even."

I looked down at my gray wool dress as Mason walked over to a pile of dulled swords and grabbed two. When he came back he jutted out his hand and presented one to me. Every instinct inside of me was telling me to reach for it... but I couldn't. It wasn't like when Adrian and I had shot arrows in secret. Then, I had felt a little hesitant at first but the excitement eventually won out. Now, there was something in the back of my mind whispering a distinct " _no_ ".

"I'm—I'm not really supposed to." I took a small step back.

Mason's playful look contorted into confusion as he practically shouted, "What? Why not?!"

Eddie came up from behind him and smacked him on the shoulder hard enough to make him jerk. "Because of her bum head you ejit!"

I looked to the side and crossed my arms around my waist self consciously. "Thanks, Eddie."

He glanced over at me apologetically with those puppy dog eyes and ran a hand through his golden hair.

"Oh, c'mon. It's just a bit of fun. Remember fun, Rose?" I knew Mason was just pulling my leg, but I couldn't help my eyes from narrowing at him the tiniest bit.

"If the Princess doesn't think she should, then leave it at that," Dimitri's heavy voice came from behind them and I'd almost forgotten he was there. I glanced at him from over Eddie's shoulder to see him, once again, avoiding looking directly at me. "Besides, she's probably too busy to be sparing with the likes of us. Let her be on her way."

He began walking towards the other side of the ring and my teeth ground together. Who did he think he was? Speaking for me as if I thought my friends were somehow lower than me. Not only was it completely untrue, but it was also insulting to think I'd view someone that way.

I suddenly had the desire to swipe that sword from Mason's hand and chunk it at the broody Dhampir's back, but before I could act Mason dragged my attention back to him.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he called to Dimitri as he took a few steps away from me. "Wouldn't want her to break a nail or anything."

My anger immediately redirected to my red-headed pal and I practically growled at him as I rushed forward and snatched the sword from his hand.

"Fine! Let's see what you've got, Ashford."

"There she is," he cheered back triumphantly.

I juggled the handle between my hands for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to hold it but the awkwardness quickly faded when I found my grip. I could see Eddie peering at me worriedly from the sidelines and rolled my eyes at him.

"Oh would you stop looking at me like that, it's not like Mason's going to—"

Before I could finish, Mason's weapon swung directly at my face. I instinctively shot mine up to block his and stopped it from pummeling my cheek with mere inches to spare.

"What the hell dude," I scoffed as I took a step away, keeping my sword raised. "A warning would've been nice."

"There are no warnings in battle," he responded in a high-pitched voice that I assumed was supposed to be mine. I didn't remember ever saying anything like that, but the way his brow quirked made me think he was mocking me.

I took a few steps to my left, carefully crossing one foot over the over to test out my mobility in my dress. It wasn't ideal, but one thing I quickly realized was that where I could see every movement of Mason's legs, mine were covered from his line of sight. I decided to keep my stance wide so that I could choose a direction without him knowing where I would be going.

Since he had been keen on making the first move, I decided to respond with one of my own. I didn't have the slightest clue what I was about to do, but my arms and torso seemed to move on their own. I dropped my sword down and swung up at him before slicing it across his side. The quick change in direction momentarily caught him off guard, but he managed to block it just in time.

An amused grin grew wide across his freckled cheeks and despite my earlier animosity, I found myself reciprocating it.

He came at me with a few more small strikes from a variety of directions. Each time his sword swung at me and I managed to block it, a burst of excitement rushed through me. Chasing that feeling, I launched at him with my own attacks. I wasn't sure how I was able to come up with the right motions on the spot, but I trusted my body to make the decisions for me.

Steel scraped against steel as we continued dancing around each other, both trading offensive and defensive positions. An almost cackling laugh came out of Mason as his foot swept behind my knee, causing me to lose my balance and fall to the ground. I rolled to my side just as his sword came down towards me, sinking into the dirt where my shoulder had just been.

I was surprised by how rough he was being, but also loved it.

When I managed to stand back up and face him, our pace increased. I started to find it a little harder to keep up and found myself on the defense more often than not. I realized I needed to start concentrating on his body movements rather than his sword in order to avoid being caught off guard by another surprise attack. In doing so, I started anticipating his movements rather than reacting to them.

I could feel the power behind my strikes growing and Eddie started shouting my name from the sideline. Each swing at Mason was met with a block, but I could see a thin sheen of sweat forming on his brow and his cocky smile was beginning to fade into furrowed concentration.

It felt good. It felt _really_ good.

I began getting a little more confident, maybe too confident, and let out a battle cry as I ran towards my friend at full speed. When I was close, I lunged my arms at him and just as my sword was about to make contact with his chest, he used the hilt of his weapon to clumsily dodge it and turned his body away. The momentum of my strike sent me past him and before I could turn around to face Mason I felt an elbow jab into the middle of my back as his foot stamped down on the hem of my dress. My balance was thrown once again and I went crashing to my knees. I flipped over on one arm, trying to keep my sword up in the other, but it was too late.

I looked up directly into the end of Mason's dulled blade. I stared down the edge of it, not yet wanting to give up but my position left me with me no choice but to surrender. I let out a defeated huff and dropped my weapon to the ground, immediately prompting him to raise his arms above his head in triumph.

"Yes! Hathaway down! Ashford takes the W!" He was practically jumping with excitement.

I rolled my eyes at him and began getting up. I should have been a little miffed by the dirty move, but I was still on an exhilarated high from the fight. Eddie skipped over to me and gave me a rough pat on the back, "Not bad, Rose. I mean it's been a long time since I've seen you lose to an arse like him but considering everything against you, you did really well."

I smiled at my sweet friend and gave him a quiet thanks as Mason continued his over-the-top celebration around the ring. I chuckled at how ridiculous he looked, but as he ran past Dimitri during his mock victory lap my amusement immediately ceased.

He was standing there completely still with his focus fixed directly on me. His eyes were just a smidge wider than normal and I could tell his jaw was clenched, but other than those subtle tells he was thoroughly composed. It was almost like he was trying with everything within him to hold back a reaction.

My eyes locked with his and I stared deep into those mahogany pools, trying to fish out what he was thinking.

"I got you good, Hathaway," Mason seemed to appear next to me out of nowhere and I realized I had tuned everything else out.

I looked over to him and tried to settle my racing nerves. "Uh yeah," I said distractedly. "I guess so."

"Aw c'mon, Rose," Mason placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a sympathetic smile. "You have to at least admit it was fun."

I thought back to the feelings that had coursed through me during the fight and my lighter mood instantly reappeared. "It really was. Thanks for not taking it easy on me Mase."

He gave me a quick wink and dropped his hand from my shoulder. "You can always count on me for that. Besides, it made my victory that much sweeter."

"Yeah well next time, we'll make it a fair fight. That last move was cheap and you know it." I poked my finger into his broad chest.

Mason held his hands up as he said, "All is fair in love and war."

"Says who?" I attempted to cock an eyebrow at him.

He stared at me for a moment as if I had just said something stupid before dropping his hands and letting out a sigh. "No offense, Rose but if you don't get that head of yours fixed soon, I'm going to start taking credit for all your genius lines."

Eddie punched Mason in the side and the two of them began scuffling around. I used the opportunity to look behind them where Dimitri had been standing, hoping he would have the decency to join us, but instead all I saw was his back fading into the distance—his hand clenching into a fist at his side just as it had the first time we met.

* * *

 **A/N:** Don't you hate when authors take so long to post you forget what's even happening in the story? Yeah...me too.

Happy Sunday all and thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I know that Rose Hathaway did not come up with the quote "All is fair in love and war" and neither did I. That line from Mason was purely for the story and to reference a previous scene with Romitri.


	42. Chapter 42

**Part 2 Chapter 42**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley, Sedona by Houndmouth, Breath In by Low Roar**

I woke to a loud banging on my door. I'm not sure how long it had been going on but I was ready to kill whoever was causing it.

I pulled myself out of bed and stomped over to the door. My eyes would only open halfway, but it was enough to see where I was going. My hand fiddled with the door handle a couple of times before I managed to unlatch it and creaked the damn thing open. It felt heavier than usual.

"What, what? What do you want?!"

"Well, good morning to you too." I rubbed my droopy eyelids and squinted at a grinning Adrian standing in the hall.

"What time is it? Why are you waking me up?"

His grin grew and his eyebrows rose. "Wow, you are _not_ a morning person."

"You're just figuring this out now?"

He let out a small laugh and the slight rise in volume caused my head to pound.

"Can I come in," he asked, looking over my shoulder into my room.

I leaned my body against the door lazily and used my weight to push it open further. "Yes. As long as you're quiet."

He pursed his lips together, suppressing another laugh and carefully walked inside. As he passed by me I caught a whiff of something hot and greasy, waking up my senses just a little more. I shut the door when he was fully inside and he presented me with a tray of heaven.

"I've come with gifts," he smirked. On the tray were stacks of still sizzling bacon, two boiled eggs, steaming hot potatoes, and a glass of fresh orange juice.

I let out a grateful moan and motioned him to set the tray down on my bed as we took a seat. I immediately dug into the bacon, not caring if it was too hot or not. After a couple large swallows of food, I glanced up at Adrian and asked, "So, why are you particularly psychic today? Not that I don't appreciate it, but it's not every day I'm woken up with greasy delicious food."

"Well, I can certainly change that if it pleases you."

I wiggled my brows at him playfully and sunk my fork into a potato.

"Guardian Ashford was on duty inside the palace this morning looking a little worse for wear," he explained. "When I asked him what kind of shenanigans he got into last night he said that you drank him and Eddie under the table."

I swallowed a huge gulp before practically shouting, "He did not!"

"Well, not exactly," Adrian laughed, "but that's how I imagined it. Either way, I thought you could use some sustenance."

I popped a whole egg into my mouth and sighed dramatically, "My hero."

"Ah, music to my ears," he teased back before snagging a stray piece of bacon. "So, what all did you do yesterday?"

I told Adrian about the runin with my friends down at the training grounds and how they had convinced me to spar with them. The more I talked about it the more awake and excited I became. Describing the sword fight brought up all those thrilling emotions I had felt the day before and I began spewing every little detail to him in the same way Natalie would gossip about a boy to Lissa and me.

After the fight, the guys had convinced me it was a cause for celebration and we spent the rest of the day—and night—at a local pub. Needless to say, I felt much better about my decisions the night before, than the morning after.

By the time I finished talking, my tray was empty and my belly was full. I moved it over to the bedside table and leaned down on one of my elbows to relax. I tossed my hair over my shoulder and looked up to see a look of shock on Adrian's face.

"What is it?"

"So you mean to tell me, you fought a trained Guardian? And he only won by cheating? That's...that's..."

"Weird?"

I suddenly felt a little self-conscious and wondered if maybe I shouldn't have told him about it.

Adrian brushed his fingers along my shoulder as his voice dropped a from shrill shock to slightly seductive. "I was gonna say _hot_."

"Me fighting with a couple of sweaty guys is somehow a turnon for you," I laughed.

"What can I say," he shrugged his shoulders. "I like strong, deadly beautiful women."

He leaned down and gave me a small kiss on the lips, careful not to linger too long with our compromising position. I wouldn't have minded a bit more from him, but knew Adrian was hellbent on making a good impression and had been adamant about us keeping it light until he gained Lissa and Victor's approval. It was kind of endearing really.

"Who would've guessed," I said breathlessly as he pulled away.

"See, we're already learning so much about each other and it's still morning. Imagine if we had an entire night together."

I gave him a sidelong glance and he returned it with another one of his signature smirks.

"Maybe next time you go out with your old pals you could invite me. You know drinking port with reckless company is one of my favorite pastimes."

His light mood should've kept my spirits up but instead, I started to feel somewhat resentful. "Well, I would have, but you've been...busy."

Picking up on my altered mood, he sat up a little straighter and turned his torso towards me. "I know. I'm sorry, Rose I know you get bored hearing us talk about Spirit. It's just—"

"You don't need to explain it," I interrupted, pointing to my head. He nodded knowingly in response.

"I can feel how much Lissa enjoys her time with you, and I'm so grateful you are able to help each other. It's just that...I miss her." I looked down at my bedspread and began twiddling with a loose thread. "Even though I'm back home now, I still feel like I'm miles away from her."

Adrian placed two fingers under my chin, bringing my gaze up to meet his emerald eyes. "You know, the main reason she's been working so hard is _for_ _you_ ," he said softly. "She's concerned about the effects of Spirit on you and even thinks it could be part of the reason you aren't able to recover your memories."

"And you agree with her?"

He let out a small sigh and dropped his hand. "I can't really speak to the reason behind your memory loss, but I can't ignore the fact that, that growing dark cloud around you freaks me the hell out."

His eyes glanced up to the space above me and I could see the stress lines across his forehead increase. I grabbed his hand and gave it a rough squeeze. "You don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," he brushed a stray hair out of my face, "but that won't stop me from always worrying about you."

I sat up and pulled my leg up on to the bed so we were fully face to face. "You know, maybe you should stop looking at my aura, at least for a while."

"What? Why? Have I offended you?"

"No, no," I shook my head. "It's just, I know what the anxiety can do to Spirit users, I've seen it first hand. At least Lissa has me to share the load with when it gets really bad, but you...you're all alone. I just don't want you spiraling because of me. It's not worth the risk."

His gaze deepened and that far off look he got sometimes appeared. "Worth? Rose, you're worth the world to me. My sanity is worthless if you aren't safe. Maybe even worthless if you are."

"And I appreciate that," I said slowly, my voice bringing him back from wherever he had just gone to. "But it's what I want."

He opened his mouth to no doubt argue again but I cut him off. "I'll make you a deal. You promise me you'll stop checking in for now and I promise you I'll let you know as soon as the darkness feels like it's getting to be too much."

He bit down on his bottom lip, his brows sinking into a concentrated furrow. I softened my voice and gave his hand another squeeze. "Please, Adrian."

I could see the internal battle going on inside him as he looked at me but eventually, he nodded and replied, "Alright. It's a deal."

Not long after, he told me he had to go take care of a few things and gathered up the tray to take with him. As he was heading out the door he turned around to face me, his earlier grin back in place.

"Don't worry about Lissa, Rose. Even though she's been occupied, you should know you're irreplaceable. Not even someone as fantastic as me could step into your shoes. The Queen will always care about you above anyone else."

I smiled at him, giving him my thanks and he flashed me one last wink as he left my room.

/

With my hangover under control, I decided to alter my plan of staying in bed all day and instead would venture over to the library to hang around while Lissa and Adrian practiced. Even though it wasn't exactly my favorite thing in the world, if I wanted to spend more time with my sister, I would just need to suck it up and make the extra effort. Especially if what Adrian said was true and she was doing all of this for me.

Just as I was finishing throwing on one of my more comfortable dresses, there was another knock on my door. I skipped over and threw it open, feeling more rejuvenated than before.

To my surprise, it was Lissa.

"Hey, Rose!"

"Liss! Hi," I excitedly responded.

She had come to my room several times since I'd been back, mainly to ask if I wanted to join her and Chris for dinner or tell me where her and Adrian were meeting, but this time it was different. I looked behind her and noticed her usual entourage was missing. No team of Guardians, no hovering Dimitri—she was alone.

"What's going on? Where are your guards?"

Lissa flipped a chunk of pale blonde hair over her shoulder with a proud look on her face. "I ditched them."

I eyed her speculatively, wondering what she was up to. "Not that I'm not totally into this new rebellious side of you, but it's not normally in your wheelhouse to break the rules. The High Constable might think I'm becoming a bad influence on you."

Her arms crossed over her chest defensively. "I can be rebellious without influence. If you recall, it was my idea to sneak down to the wine cellars during the summer solstice festival."

"Yeah, and if _you_ recall, your parents caught us before we even made it back to your room."

Her arms dropped to her hips as she very unqueenly rolled her eyes. "So maybe my execution isn't always great, but my intent is true."

"So what is your intent today, Your Majesty," I said with a deep bow.

"I thought we could spend the day together, just me and you. But if you're going to parade around like that all day I might be inclined to change my mind," she grinned teasingly.

"Really," I asked excitedly. "Are you sure? Don't you have plans with Adrian?"

"We did," she said with a tilt of her head, "but he told me he needed to cancel for some other errands he needed to take care of. He suggested I see if you were free and it made me realize how little time we've spent together since you've been back. I miss you."

It was suddenly as if our roles were reversed and she was the one hearing my thoughts this time. But I quickly realized it wasn't her that was hearing my thoughts.

"Cancelled huh?" I couldn't imagine what errands Adrian would possibly need to run that one of the servants couldn't take care of and suspected it was all a ruse to appease me. Either way, I was beyond grateful. "Well, I can't say I'm disappointed. What did you have in mind?"

/

As promised, we spent the entire day together. It was like I was finally back home, reliving the days of when Lissa and I were younger without a care in the world. Spring was finally starting to arrive so we decided to take advantage of the slightly warmer weather and ventured out to the orchards. We picked bushels of fresh apples before going down to the stables to brush the mares. We split our apples with them and took the remaining few over to one of our favorite creeks.

Throughout the day, I tolerated Lissa's gushy talk about Chris and answered a boatload of questions about Adrian. I could tell she liked him, but there was also some hesitancy to fully accept him. Like she wasn't ready to completely trust him yet.

It didn't bother me though. If anything, it made me happy to see that she wasn't being naive about the stranger staying in her home after what the kingdom had just gone through.

As we sat along the bank, I looked down at the pearl ring on my finger. It still felt a little strange on my hand—almost heavy—but thinking about the gesture behind it brought a small smile to my face.

"How did it happen," Lissa asked. I looked up at her a little confused and she nodded down to my hand.

"Oh, that. It's not nearly as exciting as I'm sure your Lord Ozera's proposal was," I teased as I moved my hand behind me, sinking it into the grass.

"Tell me anyways," she smiled and nudged my shoulder with hers.

I began to think back to that day on the road and couldn't help the small laugh building inside me. "Okay fine."

 _I sat on a fallen tree trunk, digging my dagger into it angrily. It started out with me attempting to carve out shapes to calm myself down, but when that turned useless I resorted to stabbing it violently._

 _We had been on the road for a little over a week and I was growing more and more impatient by the day. I wanted to keep going for another few hours, but Abe insisted that we stop and make camp. His reasons at the time were probably valid, but the way he spoke to me—with that overconfident smile and all-knowing attitude—pissed me off to no end._

 _Thinking about the way he had said, "Trust me, little girl, I know what's best," had me growling into the air._

" _There you are," Adrian's voice called out from behind me. "I thought we were going to have to send a search party after you."_

" _I'm literally 30 feet from camp," I grumbled. "Don't be so dramatic."_

" _Okay, so what are you doing out here," he asked as he carefully approached._

" _I needed a distraction." I slammed my dagger into the trunk a few more times, sending pieces of sawdust up into my hair._

 _With the tree stabbing no longer appeasing me, I jumped up from the trunk and began pacing. "Why does he have to be so...so...ugh I'm so mad I don't even know how to describe it."_

" _I should probably wait until you put that knife down before saying this, but you do know he's right Rose. We needed to stop."_

 _I whipped my face over to Adrian, my gaze sharper than my blade. "First of all, this is a dagger, not a knife. Second of all, I don't care if he's right. He doesn't have to be such a smug asshole about it all the time."_

 _Adrian let out a short laugh, "Really? I thought you liked that about him."_

 _An irritated sigh escaped me as I threw the knife at the tree trunk and I began my embittered pacing again. "Maybe when he did it towards your parents, but not me!"_

 _My hands flew to my hair and I tugged on the ends frustratingly. "He thinks he's so untouchable with his band of culchie pirates, who are disgusting by the way, and his ridiculously fancy clothes. I'm sick and tired of everyone thinking they know more than me. Just because I have a teeny bit of memory loss doesn't mean I'm completely clueless. It's fucking bullshit!"_

 _I expected Adrian to chime in with an "_ I know you're not clueless" _, or something to make me feel better but when nothing came out from behind me I whipped around and shouted, "Why aren't you saying anything?!"_

 _When my eyes landed on his, my anger froze. It wasn't gone, per se, but shock and disbelief were swirling around it._

 _Adrian was positioned on the ground with one knee in the dirt and his hands held out in offering. Resting in his palms was a gold plated seashell holding what appeared to be a ring._

 _I looked back and forth from the ring to his face, dumbfounded for a moment, before throwing my hands up in the air. "Now?! Of all times you choose now to do that?!"_

 _A sly, very Adrian looking smirk crept up his face as he replied, "You said you needed a distraction."_

 _I didn't know whether to laugh or scream._

" _So this is a joke, then?"_

" _On the contrary," he said as he rose to stand, slowly making his way towards me. "I'm completely serious."_

 _The closer he stepped, the more confused I became. "But, but I was just acting like a total loon. I mean you might as well put a Santa hat on me and call me Randall. You can't want to marry this. I'm wired to the moon."_

" _You're perfect." He said it with a finality that hit me right in the chest._

" _I'm the exact opposite of perfect," I said quietly._

 _Adrian stood less than a foot from me, a soft smile resting on his handsome face. "Maybe by others' standards, but to me, I can't imagine someone more worthy of the word than you. You're passionate, gorgeous, smart as hell, brave, and despite still not knowing everything about who you used to be, you're confident with who you are. If anything, I'm unworthy of you, but I do hope you'll look past that little detail and accept me anyway."_

 _Adrian took one of my hands in his and gave the back of it a small kiss before looking up at me with those entrancing emerald eyes. "So, will you?"_

 _Butterflies fluttered around in my chest and a small laugh flew out of me before I could stop it. I was afraid he would think I was laughing at him instead of my own nervousness so I violently shook my head yes to assure him._

 _His other hand rose to our adjoining ones and he slipped the black pearl ring onto my finger._

I looked over to Lissa, the memory of that day still lingering in the air, and fully expected her to make fun of me. Instead, she looked...well, like she was about to cry.

"Liss, what's wrong?"

"That's the cutest thing I've ever heard," she said through a shaky smile.

"Oh, Vlad. Don't get all mushy on me." I rolled my eyes and tucked my ringed hand under my other arm.

"Okay, so it may not have been traditionally romantic," she said as she turned her torso towards me and tucked her legs underneath her, "but you have to admit it was sweet. He really seems to care about you."

I nodded and pulled a couple blades of newly grown grass from the ground.

"And you, him?" I turned to see her waiting for an answer, her blonde brows raised in question.

It was a simple question: did I care about my fiance? I knew on some level I did. I cared for his well being, I liked spending time with him, and I loved the way he made me feel—but talking about my feelings for him on a personal level this early still felt strange.

"C'mon Liss," I grabbed her arm and stood up. Let's get some supper, I'm starved."

Eventually, we retired back to my room and after persistent begging I let her braid my hair. Surprisingly, we never ran out of things to say and talked on and on until she fell asleep in my bed.

Since arriving back at St. Vlad's I couldn't help but feel that something was still missing. That I wasn't truly back home. But as I lay in bed with Lissa daintily snoring beside me, I finally felt that contentment I'd been lacking.

As happy as I was, I couldn't fall asleep right away. I stared at the ceiling for a while, replaying the day's events but after enough time passed and I still hadn't drifted off, I decided to go out and get some water. With the halls pretty much empty at that hour, I used the opportunity to try my memory technique. I focussed my senses on my surroundings and paid attention to every little detail.

There was nothing really interesting that sparked some kind of revelation, but just before I walked into the kitchen doors I heard a muffled sound down the hall. Without knowing what it was, I felt like something was wrong and abandoned my original mission to head towards it.

I quickly realized this was the same direction I had headed down the last time I heard a strange noise in the castle, but this sound was entirely new. It wasn't the irritating screeching of a man trying to play a decent note, but I could sense once again the sound was coming from Dimitri's room.

It was still too muffled to tell what it was, but each time the sound crept down the hall, my chest clenched. When I reached his door, I pressed my ear against it. His voice carried through the wood with a pained note to it that I didn't think was possible coming from someone as strong as him. It wasn't words, exactly, but the distress was clear.

A dozen questions raced through me in an instant. Was he hurt? Did he need help?

I quickly knocked on his door, asking if he was alright but he didn't answer. When another anguished sound echoed out of the room I latched onto the handle and crept inside. There were still coals burning in his fireplace, giving me enough light to see and I noticed his giant wolf sitting beside it watching me. She didn't get up from her spot on the floor, but her eyes fixed on me as I stood in the doorway.

A deep moan drifted over from Dimitri's bed, and the wolf's ears drooped down as she looked over towards him. I followed her gaze to see the broad Dhampir still lying in his bed. It took me all of two seconds to realize he was asleep. His legs were tangled in the sheets as if he'd been tossing and turning and there was a sheen of sweat covering his forehead. He began quietly mumbling something I couldn't understand. I walked closer, thinking maybe I could make out the words but it appeared to be a different language altogether.

After another troubled bellow, he began shouting, "No! Behind you," over and over as his head whipped side to side. Without thinking, I rushed to him and grabbed his shoulders, desperately trying to shake him awake.

"Dimitri. Dimitri wake up." I repeated it a few times as he continued to mumble and groan until finally, his eyes snapped wide open. His pupils were blown, making his eyes look almost black and his chest was heaving in deep waves. I realized that waking him up this way was probably a huge mistake. His dark eyes darted towards me and I was terrified for a second that he might attack me, not fully knowing where he was. He jerked up in one swift motion that I didn't even have time to react to and shot his arms at me.

I flinched, thinking he was about to throw me across the room but instead, he pulled me against his chest in a tight embrace. His fingers curled into my back and his face was hidden in the crook of my neck. I sat there stunned, unsure how to react. I wasn't sure if he was still dreaming or not, but the way he held on to me in that moment felt like a combination of desperation, and relief.

Instead of trying to figure out what to do, I let my body think for me. I placed my arms around his back and rested my head against his—the feeling somehow familiar. His breaths were coming in slower now and I could feel him start to relax. I closed my eyes and took a deep inhale, reveling in the scent of worn paperbacks and pine.

It wasn't at all what I expected him to smell like. I wondered what he did in his spare time and a vision of him lazing around in the woods with a book in hand popped into the forefront of my mind.

Then out of nowhere, he jerked away—almost as if my touch had burned him. He jumped off the other side of the bed and turned away to put his back towards me, his shoulders and biceps tensing up more by the second.

"What are you doing here," he asked brusquely.

"You were having a nightmare, so I woke you up." Despite his harsh tone, I kept mine calm and even, not wanting to upset him more. "I heard you down the hall."

After a couple of tense moments, he ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh. The breath seemed to placate him a little and he turned his face slightly towards me, just barely glancing over his shoulder. "I'm sorry for waking you."

"I was already awake," I said rising from his bed. "Besides, it's not like you can control your dreams."

His gaze moved down to the floor and his voice dropped a few saddened notes. "No...no you can't."

I stood there for a moment, wondering if I should just leave, but I didn't feel right about abandoning him in that state. Sure, he was a grown man and could take care of himself, but I could sense that there was something going on underneath that hard veneer he always put on.

"Wh-what was it about," I quietly asked. "Your dream?"

His eyes closed and his brows began to furrow together as I waited for his answer. I wondered if maybe he was replaying the dream in his mind until he straightened up and finally turned around to say, "Battle."

I thought about the markings I had seen tattooed on the back of his neck and the few visible scars on his body. "Have you been in many?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and curtly replied, "A few."

Despite his standoffish mood now, his initial reaction when he woke up told me he was secretly seeking comfort. I highly doubted that I was the one he wanted it from, but I was there and either leaving or doing nothing just felt wrong. So even though it was probably too nosey of me to ask, and I wasn't even sure if he would give me an honest answer, I went for it anyway.

"Were you afraid?"

His gaze scanned over me for a moment and I wished to Vlad I could read his mind.

"Fear is not something you can allow on the battlefield. It's how people get killed...or worse."

His answer sounded like something that was rehearsed. Something instilled during training rather than a true answer; so pushing him even more, I asked, "Fear for yourself...or fear for others?"

Dimitri's eyes widened the tiniest bit, a barely noticeable tell I had recently discovered. The rest of his face remained perfectly emotionless, so it was near impossible to tell if he was shocked or offended.

His arms fell and he finally seemed to relax a little as he said, "Both."

The tall Dhampir began walking around the other side of his bed over to the fire. "One of the first things about becoming a Guardian is accepting the inevitable. When you've dedicated yourself to the protection of others, your life no longer belongs to you. It belongs to something greater." His voice took on this zen tone as he reached for an iron poker and used it to stir up the orange coals. "But when you're out there, sometimes that fear has a way of forcing its way in. All the training in the world can't prepare you for watching those around you fall."

As I stood behind him, I thought about the memory Adrian had helped me recover. There were Strigoi surrounding the dark field, but as I loosed my arrow at one across the way, I wasn't scared about any monsters around me. I felt protective over the person on the other side of the clearing, along with another feeling I didn't understand before. Could it have been fear? Fear for their life over mine?

The fact I was unable to admit it to myself the moment I relived it made me realize that Dimitri's admission wasn't just surprising because he was supposedly this badass, unstoppable warrior, but because it was deeply personal as well.

He was finally opening up to me and I desperately wanted to pull more out; however, as I watched him abandon the dying fire to stroke his wolf's coat, I decided against it. Pushing him to talk about something that clearly caused him pain probably wasn't the best way to earn his trust—and if I wanted to be his friend, then trust was the first thing we'd need to establish.

"Sorry about Lissa ditching you guys today," I lightly tried to change the subject. "I know you probably weren't happy about it, seeing how dedicated you are to her protection."

One of his eyebrows raised as he turned to face me and I couldn't help but notice how good he made that look. "I'm not really someone you can _ditch_ , Rose."

A delighted gust rushed through me at the combination of him finally using my name—instead of that god-awful title—and this new cocky tone.

"So you knew she was running off alone and you just let her without a care in the world," I said speculatively.

He stood up from his crouched position and walked a little closer to me. "She's the Queen of St. Vladimir's. I don't _let_ her do anything. She can choose to do whatever she wishes." Even though it seemed a simple enough concept, many people opted for trying to control us and keeping us in line. Most of the time they did it out of love and because they thought it was best, but hearing Dimitri say and do the opposite was refreshing.

"Besides," he added. "I knew she'd be safe with you."

I let out a small laugh, assuming he was trying to make a joke. "Yeah sure. The High Constable thinks a little Princess like me is capable of protecting our queen as much as he."

His eyes narrowed at me for a second as if he didn't truly believe what I was saying. "You aren't giving yourself enough credit."

"Oh really?! Because you didn't seem all that impressed with me yesterday." I plopped my arms on my hips and jutted them out defiantly.

"In truth, I thought you did exceptionally well."

I waited for the punchline, but after a moment of awkwardly staring, I realized he wasn't joking at all. I had to admit, it felt good to hear that from such a skilled fighter. I could feel my cheeks start to flush, so I quickly covered it up with more sass. "Wait a second...was that a compliment?! Who knew the ever broody Guardian Belikov could be so charming?"

His brow cocked again, this time complementing the subtle smirk on his face as he leaned down to say, "You'd be surprised."

 _Holy shit._

A tingle shot from the base of my spine all the way to my knees. I gulped, trying to hide the fact my pulse was beginning to race under that cocksure grin of his. I wasn't easily rendered speechless, but seeing this new side of Belikov suddenly had my tongue feeling like lead in my mouth.

I swallowed again, finding my courage to speak, but before I could say anything my heart leaped with a new feeling.

Panic.

It was strong and clear. And it wasn't my own.

My hands began to tremble and flashes of another room tried making their way across my vision. It was scratchy and hard to make out, but I caught glimpses of enough details to recognize it as Lissa's chambers. The distressed feeling began to grow and I found myself gasping for air.

"Rose! Rose, what's wrong?" Dimitri's strong hands grasped my shoulders, steadying me in place.

I shook my head, straightening out my thoughts and looked up to his serious face. "It's Lissa. Something's wrong."

Without another word, I shot out of his room and raced down the hall. I could hear him following close behind me and didn't stop until I reached her doors. One of them was cracked, still slightly open. I should have taken a second to assess the situation before charging in, it's probably what Dimitri would've done, but another wave of terror rushed through me and I went barreling in.

"Liss! Lissa," I shouted, the fear in my voice now my own.

I heard light whimpering coming from her bedroom and rushed inside. I looked around, terrified by the smell of blood in the air. I peered to my left to see my sister curled up in the corner and darted to her side. Her face was in her hands and she was rocking back and forth with her knees tucked into her chest. "Lissa, are you hurt? What happened?"

She sniffled, lifting her head up slightly as she pointed over towards her bed. When I turned around, Dimitri was already standing over it, his expression a combination of anger and disgust. I got up and carefully walked over to see what it was. My stomach twisted at the sight of red and brown swirls covering her sheets and the stench of dead animal quickly filling the room. There was so much blood that at first it was hard to tell what it was, but when I finally saw the remnants of what used to be the head, it appeared to be a mangled fox.

"Who would do something like this," I said more to myself than anyone else.

"I intend to find out," Dimitri replied without taking his eyes off the gorish scene.

"R-Rose," Lissa quietly called from the corner. I dropped down to her side instantly and placed my hands on top of hers. She looked up at me, her jade eyes wet with tears as one of her hands turned over in mine. Something crinkly scratched along my palm and I looked down to see a piece of parchment inside it. I glanced at her face again, unease and distress still written all over her as I opened up the letter.

The ink was scratchy with blots hovering near some of the words as if they were rushed. The angry words seemed to jump off the page and down my throat as I read them to myself:

 _The purest way is the only way._

 _We won't stop until the lines are clean and the taint is removed._

 _The stain on your family has marred our kingdom. It is time to correct the wrongdoings of the past._

 _Others will follow and already have._

 _Join us, and follow the path of the righteous way._

The scrawlings could have been argued as the ramblings of a mad beggar off the streets; an extremist, but mostly harmless.

However, it was the blue wax seal at the bottom that solidified my sister's fear and had me nervously calling out Dimitri's name. When he leaned down, I handed him the letter allowing him to read it himself. Even with it out of my hands, that symbol was etched into my brain. An indigo triskele signed with the letter I.

The íonachta were here, making their threats known—and somehow they had made their way into my sister's room.

* * *

 **A/N:** Another longer one and you didn't have to wait 3 weeks this time! :)

A special shoutout to my dear friend Tia for helping me get this one finished. Thanks for always being such a huge supporter of this story, especially when I'm writing something we know will be unpopular lol. As a thank you for your help, I added a special little scene in there just for you ;).

Thanks to everyone out there reading!


	43. Chapter 43

**Part 2 Chapter 43**

 **RPOV**

 **Songs: Into Happiness by Phantogram, Bottom of the River by Delta Rae, NFWMB by Hozier**

Over the next few days, more letters arrived. Some of them were as vague and cryptic as the first one, others were very specific on the group's plans and purpose.

Basically, they were psychopathic, racist cocktroughs who wanted to rise to power by suppressing the Dhampir. They described a new order they wished to instill, which gave the Moroi species more authority over my kind. One of the letters even had a list of new laws they demanded our kingdom adopt. A main initiative was that all Dhampir would enlist in their kingdoms troops at the age of 12. Any who were incapable of fighting were then sanctioned as slave workers by their rulers.

The only exception to this new law was to females—and their proposed fate wasn't any better.

Lissa was appalled by the growing list of demands, but I could tell the threats that came with them were starting to get to her. She would go from angry to paranoid and anxious on a constant rotation. She held it together when she was around others, but I could still feel those emotions bubbling under the surface.

We agreed to keep it relatively hidden for the time being. Spreading panic across the kingdom was the last thing we needed and it would make it even harder to try and catch those responsible. Chris and Natalie were told since she was family and Chris was practically on his way, but it took a lot more convincing from me to loop Adrian in. The others were hesitant to let a "stranger" in on such detrimental information...especially, Dimitri.

Surprisingly though, Chris was the one who batted for him. Not because he trusted him, hell I could see it eating him up to side with me on the issue, but he thought Adrian's talent with reading auras could help keep an extra eye on Lissa and possibly sift out a traitor among us. I wasn't that pleased with the idea, especially after just getting Adrian to cool it on the Spirit use around me, but I couldn't argue the fact that Christian was right. We made a compromise that he would only use it sporadically, but once we told Adrian what was going on, I could see in his eyes that he was thrilled with the idea of being useful.

As for me, I spent the majority of my time fuming. I was furious that these cafflers were terrorizing my sister. It was one thing to be sending demented love notes to her night after night, but it was entirely another once they'd broken that barrier and invaded her space. It was hard to tell if these letters held any merit. Chris had sent word to his family and Lissa to an ally in Galloway, but neither had confirmed receiving any correspondence from the íonachta twats.

Unfortunately, I didn't know enough about them to determine whether or not they could really accomplish anything they were threatening. Some of the memories Adrian had helped me with involved the group a little, but not nearly enough to make any real connections.

I thought about seeing if there was anything else Lissa could remember, but back then our parents were extremely protective of us and even after they were gone, Victor stepped into that protector role. I tried asking Natalie a few times in order to find some missing clue, but even mentioning the group's name scared the piss out of her.

I didn't want to completely discount them, but rather than thinking big picture about the group, all I could focus on were those slimy little arse weeds that snuck into my sister's room, and how to make them pay.

It wasn't long before I started to feel restless. Despite Constable Cankerit's orders to stay within the walls under guard, for the time being, I had to get away. I knew Belikov was only doing what he thought was right, but I couldn't shake that cagey feeling.

I waited until midday when most of the kingdom was asleep and the perimeter guard was light. It was surprisingly easy to sneak out, but I guess I had experience in it from years passed. Once I hit the treeline of the Emerald Pines I took off full speed into the woods. I raced down one of my familiar trails letting my skin soak up the warm sun peaking through the tops of the trees. After a while, I got bored of the shorter path I'd been circling and decided to try out a new one. As long as I kept track of the horizon, I'd know which direction to turn back to. I decreased my speed a little so I could take in the new surroundings and measure my distance.

I felt rejuvenated as I rushed past the various green foliage and couldn't help the excited howls that belted out of me. When my throat started to turn dry from a combination of running and screaming like a rebellious child, I stopped at one of the larger streams. I knelt down and splashed some of the icy water on my face before taking a few sips from my cupped hands. I closed my eyes and hummed to myself as the cold liquid soothed my throat.

"Why hello there," a nasally voice crept up behind me causing me to leap to stand. I whipped around, accidentally stepping one of my feet in the cold water and clumsily shook it off as I hopped forward a few steps. Just above the bank, I could see a stout man standing there holding a wooden walking stick.

He looked down to my wet hem and held up one of his hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, Miss. We were just passing by and spotted you down by the water."

"We," I asked, looking over his shoulder.

"My companions and me. We are a few humble merchants headed to St. Vladimir's to engage in trade." He motioned behind him but I couldn't see anyone else above the incline. I cursed myself for not hearing them approach but ultimately decided to blame the noise from the stream for keeping me distracted.

I stared at him for a moment, trying to see if he had any weapons on him or seemed threatening in any way. He looked like a typical merchant but was fatter—aka more well-fed—than most human street vendors. Even if his trade was in some kind of food, it was never wise for a dealer to sample his own goods. So either whatever he was selling was making him a lot of money, or he was lying.

When I didn't answer he cleared his throat and removed his floppy hat from his head, revealing a shiny bald dome. "I hate to intrude, but we have found ourselves a bit lost. We were hoping you were from the kingdom or nearby and could point us in the right direction."

I eyed him for another few seconds before nodding and making my way up the hill. The plump man took a step towards me and reached out his hand. "Here, let me help you, Miss."

"I can manage," I contented, shooing him away.

"Yes, it appears so," he said quietly as he moved a few steps back. Once I was at the top of the hill, I could finally see the "we" he was referring to. There were two other men and a scrawny donkey pulling a wooden wagon. There were blankets covering the top of the wooden frame so I couldn't tell what these men might be selling, but it appeared to be full.

"So where did you say you men were from," I asked, looking over to the skinnier of the two lads hanging back.

"Didn't," the bald man said as he plopped his cap back on his head. "We hail from east of here, just a few days walk."

I peered at the tallest man's hands that were hooked around his crossed arms. His knuckles were calloused and swollen as if he'd spent the majority of his life in brawls. The way he looked at me caused a twinge of unease to inch up my shoulders. His eyes were pale blue but wide and sharp as if they were fixed on targeted prey.

I placed my hands on my hips and confidently spoke, letting them know I wasn't as timid as they might've thought. "That would mean either Cobh or Trim. So which is it," I nodded to the tall, surly man signaling a response.

The piggy fellow chuckled behind me as he said, "Ole Amos there doesn't speak."

"Cobh," the skinny man at the back chimed in. I tore my eyes away from Amos the Brut to see a toothpick lazily hanging out of the other man's mouth and a crooked grin that suggested something mischievous.

"Uh huh," I had secretly hoped they would say the latter, indicating that the distance Porky suggested wasn't accurate at all, but the string bean chose right. "I see."

I pointed over my shoulder to a lightly worn path leading out of the forest. "Follow that path there until you get to the treeline then it's just a couple hundred yards to the wall."

"So you're saying we're less than half a kilometer to the kingdom," the bald man said as he moved towards the cart. "We almost made it without having to embarrass ourselves for getting lost."

I watched him start shifting the blankets around and that feeling of unease grew. "Probably less," I corrected, realizing half a kilometer was more than enough distance to be out of earshot from the kingdom. I brushed my hair over my shoulder nonchalantly and added a white lie. "There will most likely be some guards along the way that could help you make sure you're still on the right track."

"Strange," the thin man said as he took a step closer to the group, "we didn't see any this far."

"You're quite brave to be out here all by yourself," Porky said as he wrapped a blanket over his arm. "A lady as lovely as you should have her Guardians with her."

If hearing a human say the word Guardians wasn't odd enough, the dress I was wearing was no indication of wealth or enough power to afford personal guards. "Do you know me?"

I narrowed my eyes at him and gritted my teeth. The dopey look he'd been wearing began to fade into something darker, finally revealing his fassade.

"Not yet, but I'm sure we'll get to know each other reaaal well along the way." He nodded his head to the side and the other two men immediately started marching towards me.

I took a few staggering steps back until my heel bumped into something hard. I looked down to see a thick branch and hastily knelt down to pick it up. It wasn't nearly as intimidating as a sword would've been, but the weight of it felt good in my hands.

"Stay back," I commanded.

The thin man smiled at me amusedly as he continued to move closer. "And what do you plan to do with that?"

The three of them laughed and I felt a spark of rage rumble inside me. My fingers tightened around the wooden limb and I raised my elbows up. I waited until he was close enough to reach me and even let him extend his arm out towards me, letting him think I was frozen still. Just before his boney fingers made contact with my arm, I swung the branch furiously against his left temple. The gangly man yelped out in pain and shot to the ground.

"You fucking bit—"

Before he could see me coming I raised the branch above me and brought it down hard onto his ribs. He cried out more profanities and I continued swinging at his mid-section until I heard a crunch. I winded up again to ensure a clean break when my weapon was halted mid-air. I turned around to see Amos' hand gripped around it, his pale eyes furiously staring me down. I tried to wretch it from his grasp but before I could his boot slammed into my stomach, sending me to the ground gasping for air.

As I tried to catch my breath, he grabbed both ends of the branch and slammed it down on his knee breaking it in two. He tossed the pieces to the side and began walking towards me. My heart pounded against my chest with each step he took. I felt like I was on the verge of panic. These men were going to take me. I felt helpless without a weapon and tried to scuttle away, but Amos stomped down on the hem of my dress.

The action rang familiar as I recalled the fight with Mason. It was the same maneuver he pulled just before he beat me. It was another fight I had lost—but a fight that Dimitri had said I performed exceptionally well.

Amos' hands roughly grabbed my shoulders and lifted me up. His gnarled teeth grit together and the stench of his foul breath wafted over my face. At that moment, I should have been terrified. I could already see him and the pudgy creep wrapping me in that blanket and throwing me in the back of the cart to take me who knows where, but an accented voice suddenly echoed in the back of my mind.

" _Fear is not something you can allow on the battlefield."_

I pushed down those former feelings of panic and loosened my muscles a little, making the brut think I was letting him win. He turned his head to the side and began to take a step towards the wagon, and I used the opportunity to slam my forehead against the side of his jaw. He grunted and shook his head, the blow no doubt throwing off his equilibrium a bit so I latched onto his elbows as I thrust my knee forward, making contact directly with his groin.

His grip on my shoulders finally loosened as he folded over and I took a step back to ready myself. He was only distracted for a moment, not long enough for me to run. Instead, I made the decision to stand and fight.

I swung my leg at his side and struck his ribs with my shin. He made a disturbing grunting sound again but quickly straightened up. He moved to swing his fist at me, the speed behind his blow was surprising for a human, but I somehow managed to duck below it just before delivering a response. My hand swung upwards towards his face, seemingly on its own, and my knuckles smashed under his chin. The hit sent him a step back, but it also shot a fiery pain down my wrist. I tried not to show it, but couldn't help cradling my hand for just a second. I pulled my arm against me and whirled around with another kick. Amos dodged it at the last second but I managed to knock him in the side of the knee with his attention on my other leg.

He looked a little wobbly on his feet. I knew I only needed one more clean blow to send him down for good, giving me the chance to run away unfollowed. I bent my knees, using my dress to hide my intentions just like I had done with Mason. I searched him for the opportune place to strike. When he started to tramp towards me, I made my decision. I readied myself for attack, pressing the balls of my feet into the earth and tightening up every muscle in my body. When he was only a few feet away I crouched down just the tiniest bit lower and prepared to unleash as much force as possible.

Just before my feet launched off the ground something hard cracked against my back, sending me to my hands and knees. Pain burst from my spine throughout my ribs as I tried to hold myself up.

"They didn't say you'd fight back," the fat man's voice gritted from behind me and I turned my face over my shoulder to see him wielding that walking stick he'd had earlier.

"They," I asked breathlessly. The stick smacked across my face, splitting my lip and sending a jolt of pain across my left cheek.

"You're done talking now. Amos, get her in the carriage."

My vision became spotted as Amos snatched me off the ground and threw me over his shoulder. I tried to push myself off, but my head began simultaneously pounding and spinning.

"Give her over to me. I owe her some payback for that shit she just pulled." I looked up to see the thin man finally back on his feet, limping towards us with a dagger in his hand.

"Patience, Gideon," the fat man cooed. "You'll get your chance soon enough."

"They only said to bring her to them. They didn't specify what condition other than _alive_. You should let us have a little fun."

The thin man began laughing again and I felt nauseous at the sound. I tried to move off Amos' shoulder again, but the effort caused me to fall slack. We passed by the donkey and I knew once he threw me into the carriage, that was it. I was out of options.

His hands moved to my ankles, preparing to toss me like a sack of potatoes when suddenly I went flying through the air. I thought maybe he had decided to chuck me over to Gideon and let him have his fun, but when I looked over from the ground I could see Amos rolling away.

The other two men shouted with fear as a flash of gray whizzed by me followed by a splatter of red against my face.

It was blood.

Amos' blood.

I shook my head and pressed up a little until I could see Amos' lifeless body splayed across the dirt and gnarled at the throat. Gideon rushed by me and flung himself onto the cart. He scoured through the blankets pulling out a long axe, but before he could turn around he was pulled down to the ground from behind, his screams muffled by ferocious growls and the sounds of teeth striking bone.

My vision finally started to sharpen and I could make out the gray blur causing all the destruction. It was Dimitri's wolf.

When Gideon's legs stopped twitching and he too laid lifeless on the ground she walked away from him and began making her way towards me. Her snout was dripping with blood, her lips still curled up in a snarl, but I didn't feel an ounce of fear. If anything, I felt a strange sense of relief.

I reached over to the wooden wheel of the cart and pulled myself up. Once the wolf reached my side I wondered why the donkey hadn't lost its mind being in the presence of such a threatening beast. That's when I realized it was gone. I darted my gaze off into the distance and could see Porky riding the poor mule through the woods. They weren't moving very fast, but there was no way for me to catch them in my condition.

"He's getting away," I lamented to myself.

The wolf's ears perked up and she agilely leaped into the woods at full speed towards them.

"Wait," I shouted, taking off after her.

I could see her back bounding over the green growth gaining ground on the pair ahead. "Don't kill him! I need him," I shouted from behind her, hoping by some miracle she'd understand me. Her large form disappeared for an instant under the shrubbery before soaring high into the air. She landed directly on top of the fat man and latched her teeth into his shoulder, pulling him down from the small neddy. The donkey shrieked and I thought she may have gone for it too, but a second later it popped up and began galloping away.

I rushed through the greenery, anxious when I didn't hear the sounds of fearful shouting. When I made it to the man, the gray wolf was standing over him staring at his fat face. Blood was gushing out of his left shoulder and neck as he looked up to the treetops in shock. I fell down to my knees and pressed my hands over the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Who sent you? Who sent you to take me," I shouted as I continued putting pressure on the gash, but there was no use. After a few more gurgle filled moments, Porky was dead.

"Fuck," I cursed into the air, knowing there would be no way to get answers out of three dead men.

The wolf made a noise that sounded like what would've been a scoff if she wasn't an animal. I looked over to her and swore I could see a sense of irritation on her expression. "Yeah, yeah you're right. Thank you. I just wish you would have left me at least one alive."

Her long tongue raked over her nose before she shook out her ears. She was a mess of mud and blood, but I'm sure I wasn't looking much better. My gaze moved down to see what condition my dress was in, but suddenly became locked on my hands. They were soaked in blood. Without warning, flashes of me lying on a cliffside pulling out my crimson covered palm raced across my vision. The smell of iron flooded my nose and another memory jolted in its place. I was hovering over another human man, my hands shaking as his blood dripped off of them. Then lastly, a dark forest took hold as I knelt on the ground beside a ghostly pale body. It's lifeless red eyes stared up at nothing as I raked my bloodied hand over its blouse; a familiar gray wolf sitting beside us.

My mind jumped to the present as my heart pounded into my throat. "Woah," I breathed out.

I tried to make sense of what I'd just seen. The cliffside was obviously the day I became shadow kissed, but the other two were harder to make out. After a moment of sitting there, my gaze shot up to the sky. Realizing the last vision was of a Strigoi, I momentarily panicked not knowing how much time had passed since the men attacked.

There was still a good amount of light, but I'd have to get back soon or risk being stuck in the forest after dark. As I rose to stand, my back ached from the sudden movement. I reached down and grabbed pudgy's walking stick, understanding the irony of using the same instrument that had caused my pain in the first place to help me get home. I caught a glimpse of something sticking out of his vest pocket and grabbed it along with the stick.

"C'mon," I said to the wolf, "We gotta get out of here." We both began walking back towards the kingdom as I opened the small parchment that had been in the fat man's vest. Scrawled out were no words, just a sketch of a woman's face. _My_ face.

At the bottom was a familiar triskele sigil I had come to loathe.

/

When I finally got back to the castle it seemed like my absence hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Fuckin' gads, there she is," Adrian sighed with relief as he walked to greet me in the main hall. Lissa's worried expression perked up from behind him and just a few feet back, as always, was Dimitri.

Adrian wrapped his hands around my shoulders as his eyes raked over me. "Christ, Rose you look like you tumbled down a hill straight to hell. What happened?"

"I see my lack of gracefulness hasn't been forgotten," I replied sardonically.

"Are you hurt," his eyes flicked to my stained hands and I tried curling them up to keep his eyes from widening any further.

"I'm fine. It's not mine."

"What happened," Dimitri's voice was low, but the coarse seriousness behind it had me snapping up to attention. I hadn't realized how close he'd moved towards us when I saw him standing just a few feet behind Adrian. It still baffled me how quietly someone his size could move.

I gulped, half expecting to be berated by him for leaving against his strict orders, but what I saw instead had me momentarily stilled. His dark eyes were focused on me intently and his normally hardened expression was drenched with concern. I thought maybe I was imagining it for a second, but as he stood there still as stone, anxiously waiting for my answer I could see he was genuinely worried...about _me_.

"I went out for a quick run but was attacked in the woods." Lissa let out a small gasp as her hand shot up to her mouth. "I tried to fight them off, but they beat me." I looked down to the ground for a second, feeling a dose of shame. I don't know why, three against one were pretty grim odds, but I couldn't help but feel I should have been able to win.

"Your wolf over there showed up just in the nick of time," I turned to look at the furry beast behind me. "She took them down and helped me escape before they took me away. I owe her a debt," I said as I turned back towards Dimitri.

He was staring at his wolf with a deep sense of appreciation and the smallest hint of fear. It was like there was some silent form of communication going on between them and I couldn't help but wonder what was causing him to react. Then, the serious Constable Belikov was back and his usual stone expression turned towards me.

"What did they look like? How many were there? Did they say where they were from," he fired off.

I answered him as best I could but it was obvious he wasn't satisfied. I pulled out the parchment from a pocket in my dress and handed it over to Lissa for them all to see. "This was in one of their coats."

Adrian's expression turned hard as he looked over the sketch and I could almost feel his rage beaming off of him.

"What is it," I asked, knowing that he was reacting to more than just the image of me.

"I've seen this before," he gritted through his teeth. "It was mine."

"What do you mean yours," Lissa asked.

"I drew it back when we were on the road. I had it and another dozen or so sketches piled together in my things. I haven't looked at them in weeks so it could have gone missing at any time. FUCK! How could I have been so careless?!" His hands shot up into this hair, gripping the ends so hard I thought he might pull them out.

I reached up and attempted to soothe him. "Adrian, it's okay. It's not your fault." I gently squeezed his arms but even that small clasp had me wincing in pain. I clutched my wrist to my chest and tried to rub out the ache.

Adrian's furious expression fell and he reached towards me. "You _are_ hurt."

I looked up at him guiltily. His emerald eyes shimmered with something tangible and I started to feel a hint of warmth trickle into my arm. I looked down to where his hand was touching me and quickly jerked it away.

"Don't."

"Rose, just let me try."

"No," I said a little too sternly. He looked a bit hurt and I could see Lissa awkwardly looking between us. "I'm sorry. I appreciate it, I really do," I said more calmly, "but you've already been using too much lately. I can tell. And we both agreed you wouldn't use it on me."

"But this is different. I can—"

"It's not. I'll be fine without your magic. Besides," I glanced over to Dimitri who had been silent since his initial debriefing session, "I'm sure the High Constable has some supplies he can lend me to move things along."

Adrian looked over his shoulder towards the surly Dhampir and Dimitri's eyes immediately darted away. He eventually nodded his head but didn't bother glancing in Adrian's direction again.

"Fine," Adrian finally conceded. "As long as you promise to get it looked at. And that cut on your mouth too." He leaned in and whispered into my ear as Lissa and Dimitri began talking amongst themselves. "Don't think for a second I wouldn't notice a mar in those perfect lips of yours."

I smiled, happy to see a glimpse of his usual self and flashed him a quick wink.

"Rose," Lissa called out. "I think it's time we bring this information to the council. It appears their threats are now more than just words and we need to start informing the other members of our situation."

It was strange to hear her talk like that, so official and royal, but she was right. "I agree."

"I know these meetings weren't always your favorite," she added, "but will you come?"

"Of course, anything you need and I'm there."

She sighed, a little relieved, before straightening back up to that commanding version of herself. "I'll start gathering the council members and let you know when they are ready to meet. In the meantime, Dimitri, you better help her get cleaned up."

His face flicked to hers with a look that said he did not like being left out of whatever she was about to do next. Lissa raised her eyebrows at him as if daring him to question her and I could see him starting to cave. I had to admit, she looked pretty badass.

When he finally conceded and began walking towards us, I bid Adrian a quick goodbye and followed the pouty Dhampir to his quarters.

He grabbed a few things from his cupboard, but surprisingly we didn't stay there long. He threw them into a small basket and escorted me to one of the smaller dining halls. He was probably sick of me always finding my way into his room and wanted to get me out as quickly as possible.

I sat at the table and let him examine my wrist. There was a concentrated crinkle to his brow as he flipped my hand over and tested its dexterity. I guess he'd noticed more than Adrian because he also asked my permission to poke and prod at my back.

Eventually, he got out the gauze and handed me a cool, damp cloth. "Your lip doesn't need any stitches, you can just hold this on it to try and reduce the swelling."

 _And keep me from talking_ , I thought to myself.

I did as he suggested and he carefully began wrapping up my wrist. "Your ribs are bruised, but not broken. They'll be tender for a couple days but should heal fine."

As he continued rolling the cloth around my hand I could see he was trying his best to minimize his contact with my skin and only touch the areas he'd already wrapped; whether it was for my benefit or his was unclear.

"And this," I asked, moving my arm up the tiniest bit.

He let out a small grunt as some of the wrap loosened, then began pulling it tight again and shook his head. "It's a sprain. Try not to use it for a few days."

"So you mean no going around punching people in the face for the rest of the week?"

"Is that how it happened," he sounded a little surprised.

"Yeah. Obviously, I did it wrong." I blew at a piece of stray hair that had fallen into my face.

Dimitri had no reaction and continued the wrap. I could only assume he didn't really give a shit about my fighting skills, or lack thereof.

"Why do I get the feeling this isn't the first time you've had to do this?"

His movements paused and his eyes finally shifted up to mine. "Why? Do you remember something?"

There was a hopefulness in his voice that threw me off guard. "No, I just have a habit of fucking myself up. Figured you would've been around a time or two for that."

With one sassy remark that hopefulness was gone and he silently went back to his work. I watched him pull the fabric over and under my hand to the point I thought my stare would burn a hole in the top of his head. After a few more minutes of awkwardly sitting there, I blurted out, "I have a confession," somewhat unnerved by how quiet he was being.

"Oh, what's that," he said, still keeping his gaze fixed on my wrist.

"I had ulterior motives for asking you to do this. I probably could've just as easily convinced them to let me go to one of the medical stations but I needed to talk to you about something."

He tied the two ends of gauze into a knot and tucked the remaining fabric under itself.

"I see," Dimitri said as he leaned back a little on the bench. He looked a bit nervous and I wondered what he thought I was about to ask him. Rather than making him wait or trying to get whatever he was thinking out of him, I boldly announced my request.

"I want you to train me."

His brow hitched in that way it did sometimes and I tried not to hold in my breath. "Training? That's what you wanted to talk to me about?"

Obviously it hadn't been what he was expecting. "Yes. I'm tired of relying on my body to think for me. I want to know what I'm doing out there so something like this," I raised my wrapped hand for effect, "doesn't keep happening."

"Why not ask one of your friends? Castile or Ashford." I could tell he was trying to pass it off without officially rejecting me.

"You're better than them. And if I'm gonna learn from someone it might as well be from the best."

"Who says I'm the best?"

"Don't be coy."

He looked at me as he had in his room the other night. As if my statement was ridiculous. But not ridiculous in a way that was amusing, ridiculous in a way that pissed him off.

"There's something else." I lowered my voice and looked around the room to make sure we were alone. "When I was out there, I remembered something. It wasn't a full memory, pieces of several really, but they were real. I know that I'm not supposed to be fighting since it may end up making things worse, but I can't help but feel it will help me find out who I really am…"

His angry stare began to melt and interest sparked.

"Soooo basically, I need to keep this a secret. I know you're not one for breaking the rules but—"

"I'll do it."

His words were so quick I wasn't sure I heard him right. "Wait, you will?"

He stood up from the stool, towering above me and quietly said, "We'll start tomorrow. Meet me at the training grounds at dusk. Don't be late."

I was about to tell him thank you with a million promises to be on time, but before I could say anything he was already out the door, leaving me sitting there confused and a bit stunned.

* * *

 **A/N:** Quick disclaimer, I'm due to produce this tiny human in about a week so a brief hiatus is most likely coming up. I'm hoping to get you guys one more chapter before then, depending on how things are going. Hope you liked this one; a little bit of action and the promise of some future Romitri sparring sessions ;). Many of you have been wondering where Daisy has been, well here she is and to the rescue! That good girl definitely deserves some Dimitri pets after that fierce display.

P.S. Don't drink stream water. Rose's tough immune system would probably keep her from getting any diseases but not us mere mortals XD


	44. Chapter 44

**Part 2 Chapter 44**

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden, Claude's Girl by Marika Hackman**

Training the next day with Rose started right on time. I thought about calling it off at least a dozen times on the way down there. It was stupid of me to agree to it—masochism at its finest. I should have never said yes, but when she claimed it could help her with her memory recovery, how could I say no?

Although, I could hardly affirm those first few days as actual training. They pretty much consisted of one thing: running. Not only were her injuries still not fully healed, but there was another predicament plaguing my mind. I didn't know how I was going to touch her.

Since that night in my room where I'd foolishly pulled her into my arms, I was terrified of being close to her again. The feeling of her warm body pressed against me gave me more comfort than I'd felt in months, only to be ripped away by the cruel reality that she was no longer someone I could seek comfort in. I was a fucking idiot to have caved into my delirious desires and found myself curling away from her every time we were too close. Tending to her sprain had been hard enough, I wasn't sure how I was going to manage when it came time to pin each other to the ground.

Until then, I resorted to making her run laps and lift weighted objects to "build up her strength". She'd been out of training for several months since she went missing, but I wouldn't be able to keep this up forever.

I had been trying to convince her to tell at least Lissa about her wanting to train. Not only for her sake but for mine. I knew she didn't like hiding things from her sister, but I also felt if someone knew, it might make things easier. If my Queen was aware of our activities, then maybe it would help reinforce my professionalism and bat away some of that anxiety. Somehow, keeping it secret was only making it feel more sordid than it actually was.

When Lissa was finally able to wrangle the council together for an official meeting, Rose was summoned to join her for the day. I decided to cancel our session, despite her many protests and told her we'd start back up again later that week. I didn't think it would be wise of her to start dozing off in the middle of the meeting.

With the two of them and Christian in attendance, my presence wasn't essential. I cared more about the security of the Queen rather than the political image that I was sure the council members would want to debate, so I decided to take a day to myself and clear my head. I grabbed one of the more wild mares from the stables and took her out on a long run to help reign her in a little. She was a bit headstrong and disobedient at first, but by the end of our ride, we were both in sync.

Eventually, we came to a small clearing and I hopped down to feed her some treats. She crunched down on a carrot as I took in our surroundings when I noticed something that didn't belong. Sitting at the edge of a rock was some sort of fabric. I tied the horse down before walking over to it to get a better look. I picked it up realizing it was a dress. Beside it were white undergarments and slippers. I looked up, wondering if there was a naked woman roaming around the woods—then I heard a splash.

I quickly stood up, dropping the dress to the ground, to find a steaming body of water. It was a hot spring, and swimming inside it...was Rose.

I gulped and turned away, hoping she hadn't spotted me yet when she casually called out, "Belikov. What are you doing out here?"

I knew telling her I had just happened upon her by coincidence would sound completely unconvincing so I searched for something—anything—that would get her out of that water and back in her damn clothes.

"The Queen is looking for you," I said with my back still turned to her. She'd find out it was a lie as soon as we got back to the kingdom, but that was a problem for the future.

"And you came out here all this way to tell me that." I could practically feel her smirking with disbelief. "Couldn't you have just sent one of your little henchmen to do that for you?"

"You shouldn't be out here alone," I argued, trying to change the subject on her.

"Oh please, we are well within the wards. I can see the wall right there." I heard water trickling and could picture her lifting her arm to point at the kingdom. "Besides, with all the running you've been having me do I'll most likely be able to outrun anyone that shows up, even stark naked."

I knew she was being facetious but the image had me grunting and shaking my head to get rid of it. She must have mistaken my discomfort for anger as she sighed, "Ugh calm down, if it makes you feel any better I brought your wolf with me just in case."

I looked around the area, trying to spot Daisy lurking nearby. Hopefully, she didn't spook the horse.

A whoosh of water splashed at my feet and I whipped around instinctively. Only her head was visible, her drenched hair circling around her like a dark cape, but just knowing what was under that water had my feet frozen in place.

"Since you're already here, you should join me for a swim."

"No," I sternly replied. "We need to get back. I told you, the Queen—"

"Oh, c'mon," she cut me short, "you know you want to. I'll turn around if you're shy." Her lips arched into a playful smile. Heat began radiating off my skin and I wasn't sure if it was from the steaming water, or my body reacting to her provocative mood.

I stood there wordlessly, but she could never take my silence for too long and started trying to convince me again. "The water feels great for sore muscles. All those barrels of hay you've been having me move around were tightening up my shoulders. You look like you could use some relaxation yourself, Constable."

I looked over to the wall, searching for another excuse, but Rose wouldn't stop her insistent persuading. "Look, I'm not getting out until you get in at least for a few minutes. So either you can stand there lurking all night or you can just get it over with and hop in."

I could've just left her there. She was right, with Daisy watching over her and her close proximity to the kingdom she probably would've been fine. But if anything happened, I'd never have forgiven myself.

"Chert voz'mi," I cursed under my breath and began kicking off my boots.

A satisfied grin flashed across her face before she turned around and swam to the other end. I wasn't necessarily shy like she'd claimed. Growing up alongside Vikings and then the troops, nudity wasn't that uncommon, but in this case, I was glad she was giving me my space.

I tossed my clothes away from hers and stepped into the spring. Pins and needles pricked my skin as I eased from the cool air into the warm water until I was waist-deep. "Okay, I'm in. Can we please go now?"

She turned around and began casually wading in circles, keeping herself deep in the water. "You've already come this far, at least _try_ to enjoy yourself for a minute—as hard as that concept may seem to you."

The woman was relentless.

I had to admit though, combined with the brisk breeze the balmy water was starting to become considerably relaxing. I decided to stop fighting her and sunk in a little deeper, dipping my neck and the back of my head in. I rolled my shoulders, letting the warm waves flow over them and let out a deep breath.

She swam around quietly, letting me enjoy my peace, which was rare for her. In our training sessions, she talked non-stop, even when she was too out of breath to form a full sentence. I guess maybe I did look like I really needed it.

I couldn't help but notice what a graceful swimmer she was. I could tell she was in deeper water but she managed to stay perfectly afloat as she glided from one end of the spring to the other. Eventually, she went from small strokes under the water, to larger ones to propel her faster. She turned her back to me to extend her arms—and that's when I saw it.

Her long hair parted revealing a sharp white line tracing from just below her shoulders down the rest of her back. You'd think it was by design with how perfectly straight it was, but really it was just a testament to the amount of force behind the original strike. I almost called out to her as I had in that snow-filled clearing and had to bite my tongue to keep that memory from escaping.

"I know. It's hideous to look at."

I was so fixated on her scar I hadn't realized she turned to look at me over her shoulder. But even if she hadn't just caught me staring, no amount of shame or embarrassment would've caused me to hide or deny it after what she said.

"No, it isn't," I replied undoubtedly. She sunk back into the water and slowly turned around to face me. There was a hint of self-consciousness draping over her that I'd never seen before.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of it," I continued. "It may be a reminder of something horrific, but it shows that you came face to face with impossible odds and somehow rose above them to make it out the other side. You should wear it with honor and pride."

She stared at me wide-eyed, not saying a word. I realized I had crossed a line and shouldn't have spoken so candidly about something that personal to her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

"Don't be," she cut in. She stared at me wordlessly, her eyes scanning over my face until they landed on the scar above my eye. She looked at it often. I sometimes wondered if there was something familiar about it to her, but knew that was just wishful thinking. A distant hope. I looked away, not wanting her to ask me about it. The thought of having an identical conversation from our past made my stomach feel sick.

I waded over to some rocks and rested my arms and back against them. "Have you thought any more about telling Vasilisa about your decision to train," I asked, searching for another topic before the conversation took a disheartening turn.

She pulled her hands out of the water and pushed her wet hair away from her face, her plain silver bracelet catching a bit of moonlight. It seemed strange that she always wore it despite her obvious disdain for it; I had caught her on multiple occasions looking at it with disgust, but still, she never took it off.

"Yes and no. I don't want to keep secrets from her, but I don't want to worry her over nothing," she sighed. "She's got enough going on without having to worry about me doing something some quacks said wouldn't be good for my mental recovery or whatever."

She was right, Lissa would most likely worry and beg her not to, but I didn't really think that was a good enough reason to keep her in the dark.

"You disagree," she said, looking at me studiously. Her ability to read me so easily sometimes unnerved me, especially with the tumultuous thoughts brewing around. So I altered my mistake and hardened my expression to keep her from trying to guess what I was thinking.

"It's your decision."

I splashed some warm water over my face and rung out the ends of my hair. The water that clung to it had already gotten cool and was a stark contrast to the new water running down my shoulders.

"I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your dedication to her."

I glanced over at her before turning to the side and wading to another end of the spring. "I made a promise to protect her." I tried not to look at her as I swam, turning my gaze up to the sky to hide my pain at the reminder that the person I had made that promise to no longer existed.

The stars were pricks in the sky, their light muffled by a layer of clouds. I felt as if they were laughing at me, their twinkling amusement growing with my increasing discomfort.

"It's more than that," she said a little more somberly and my heart dropped in panic. I stilled my movements at another shallow area and sunk onto a rock in the water, the top of my chest exposed to the chilly breeze.

"I know things couldn't have been easy when I was gone. I couldn't feel her like I used to through the bond, but I can't imagine how upset she must have been. I hate myself for putting her through that, but I'm also thankful she had someone like you here to watch out for her."

I should have felt relieved that she hadn't guessed my feelings once again, but her words only caused some of those weighty times to resurface.

"She—she was okay, right? _Is_ okay?"

I had been trying to avoid talking about her time away every time she got close to bringing it up—hiding myself from her like a coward. But the meekness and uncertainty in her voice were impossible to ignore this time.

I thought back to the night Vasilisa had found me in my room, drunk and unresponsive. It was an old habit I had fallen back into, except this time I didn't want to find my way out. Regardless of what I wanted though, Vasilisa managed to do just that. It wasn't her anger or disappointment that snapped me out of it. It was her sorrow. A pain I realized I had been selfish to assume I was baring alone. A grief that we both shared, and was silently crying out to be noticed. We held each other, I'm not sure for how long, as thoughts of Rose trickled between us.

"She was...lost," I quietly said.

"When such a big part of your life is taken so suddenly, it's hard to find purpose. Hard to find meaning in things that once mattered."

Rose nodded in understanding, but I could tell she was a bit rattled by the thought of someone she cared for in a broken state.

"Eventually it only took one person to snap her out of it," I amended.

Her eyes perked up and the constellation across the water subtly rippled around her. "Who was that?"

"You."

Confusion washed over her features as she slowly moved to the rocks.

The ends of her dark hair rolled in waves with the water, and the hypnotizing movements somehow brought me back to that night in her room. Vasilisa had invited me in to share a few stolen memories of our lost loved one. Everything about that room oozed Rose, but rather than cause me torment, it brought me peace.

"She realized that rather than shying away from the memories of you, she should treasure them. She no longer feared thoughts of you on the days you weren't there. Instead, she searched for you in those small moments, and it somehow made it easier.

Visions of you running through the castle halls, the sound of your laugh at one of Ashford's bad jokes, or just the image of you smiling across the room. Each day became a little more bearable picturing you there."

I became lost in thought, thinking about all the times Rose appeared to me throughout those lonely months. She was a symbol of strength, an image that kept me going and pursuing my promise to her and the Princess, now Queen.

"She...she told you all of that?" I looked up, slightly startled by her voice. Her brows were quirked and her lips were set in a thin line. She was concentrating—trying to figure me out.

"More or less." I sucked in a deep breath, steeling myself. I sank deeper into the water before paddling through the deep end.

She let out a small sigh before splashing some water in my direction. "Look at this. I finally convince you to relax a little and end up bringing up topics that have you swimming around like a moody mermaid."

"I am not a _moody mermaid_ ," I called out defensively.

Rose looked at me wide-eyed for a moment, silent and still, before bursting out in a hysterical laugh. "Hahaha! You should hear yourself say that."

I had to admit, my accent did make the term sound completely ridiculous. My lips reactively curved into a small smile as she continued giggling to herself.

"You should do that more often," she said with a jut of her chin in my direction.

"What's that?"

"Smile," she sweetly replied. "It looks good on you."

A short, closed mouth laugh eased its way up my throat. The way she was looking at me had my heart concurrently racing and falling into my stomach. I wanted to tell her the million different ways her smile made me feel. How undeniably gorgeous she was when she beamed at me like that. How that smile had always made me want to kiss her while equally fearing covering up her grin.

I moved closer this time rather than backed away as I had been since dipping into the water. Her hand came up to her hair and the ripples between us started to collide. When I was just a few feet away she looked up at me almost timidly through her dark lashes. Another glint of uncharacteristic bashfulness. The reaction struck me as odd; the Rose I knew always exuded confidence even in the most uncomfortable settings, but I was still too distracted to pay it much mind.

I opened my mouth to speak, to give her one of those bold remarks she always loved, but a small glimmer of light winked at me, drawing my attention away from her entrancing smile. The moon had shifted through the parted clouds just long enough to illuminate something entwined in her dark hair. It only took me a second to realize what it was and the hot water around us suddenly turned cold.

Her engagement ring.

It was happening again. I had almost realized it too late. I was allowing myself to believe that this was the same girl I once knew. That I once loved. But it wasn't. She wasn't the same. She wasn't mine.

Luckily, I wasn't forced to come up with another flimsy excuse to leave as the bell tower sounded announcing visitors approaching. Daisy's howl immediately followed from the woods and my horse began growing uneasy.

"Come on," I said sharply, turning my back to her once again. "We have to go."

She wordlessly obeyed this time and we quickly made our way out.

/

Once we reached the castle I handed off the mare to one of the guards and hastily made my approach. I could hear Rose struggling to keep up with my quick pace in her long dress but I didn't slow. We weren't expecting visitors anytime soon and the sound of those bells ringing had me agitated.

I shouldered open the main doors, anxious to get to the Queen only to find I wouldn't have to go far. Vasilisa was standing in the great hall with Christian and Lord Ivashkov...and the apparent visitor.

Her back was turned to me but I recognized her auburn curls instantly.

"Mom," Rose's questioning voice called out from behind me causing Janine Hathaway to turn in our direction.

Her face went from serious and professional to pure disbelief. I had only seen Janine show a small bit of emotion during our conversation in the stable back when she questioned me about the battle, but that was only a glint compared to this.

Rose rushed towards her mother and wrapped her arms around her so furiously that both the women jerked when she made contact.

I was surprised to see Rose embrace Janine so strongly, she had always described her relationship with her mother as complicated, more or less, and by the look on Guardian Hathaway's face, she was just as taken aback.

She stood there stiffly, that same shock resting on her expression for another moment before she melted into her daughter and returned the hug, closing her eyes and whispering something quietly into her ear.

When she pulled away, Janine fussed over her for a minute, smoothing the fabric on her shoulders and adjusting the buttons on her dress—the gesture surprisingly maternal. It felt intrusive being there for their reunion. I considered leaving and giving them their time alone, but the touching moment was short-lived as Janine firmly asked, "Why are you wet?"

She looked over Rose then her eyes darted towards me, inspecting my wet hair and similar state. Lord Ivashkov's gaze followed Janine's and I could feel my face go white under their questioning stares. I swallowed, unsure what to say, but Rose confidently jumped in.

"I was walking too close to the hot springs and fell in. Belikov here mistook my horrible paddling skills for drowning and dove in after me." I thought back to how graceful she was in the water, as if she had been swimming before she could walk. I didn't understand why she was lying but kept my expression even so as to not give her ruse away. "You know Guardians," she wryly added, "they see what they believe to be a struggling damsel and immediately think that calls for their aid."

Janine looked back to her daughter admonishingly, as if she was silently telling her she should be more careful—but Adrian's narrowed gaze stayed fixed on me. His focus shifted above my head for a moment and I thought maybe he was looking at my damp hair again before staring straight into my eyes. There was something challenging in that look, almost possessive.

Where Janine's look had exuded a scolding, Adrian's was a warning.

Then as if rehearsed, his voice turned light and his expression molded with it. "Damsel or not, I'm sure the vision of you wading in a body of water would be impossible to resist diving in headfirst. Either way, thanks Belikov. I'm sure you had only the noblest intentions in mind."

It didn't take a genius to hear the double meaning behind his supposed gratitude.

This time it was Vasilisa who stepped in to break the tension. "Rose, why don't you get cleaned up and we'll all reconvene later. I'll have the cooks prepare something special this week to welcome Guardian Hathaway back to St. Vladimir's."

"Thank you, your Majesty, but I assure you that isn't necessary," Janine politely replied.

"Of course it is," Vasilisa cheerily spoke. "We owe you so much more than that and I'm sure you and Rose have much to catch up on."

Janine agreed with a nod and the group began to disperse. Adrian offered Rose his arm with an exaggerated bow and shaking her head she took it. She smiled up at him seemingly amused, but before they made it up the stairs she cast me a quick glance over her shoulder.

Again, I began to wonder why she had lied. Granted, I could see her wanting to leave one or two details out, but she was the one who practically begged me to swim with her, so I couldn't really understand her need to cover it up. As she walked arm in arm with Lord Ivashkov, I couldn't help but think maybe she didn't trust him as much as she let on. Maybe there was something she wasn't saying.

And so my mission to learn everything there was to know about Adrian Ivashkov ensued.

* * *

 **A/N:** Better watch it Adrian, Guardian Belikov's got his eye on you ;P

Sorry this chapter took so long. I finally had the bb and he has been keeping me pretty busy. Hopefully, I'll get back to a normal posting schedule eventually. Hope you guys enjoyed the DPOV and the new cover image for this chapter. Thanks to everyone out there still reading! You da best


	45. Chapter 45

**Part 2 Chapter 45**

 **DPOV**

 **Songs: While My Guitar Gently Weeps by The Beatles, One More Cup of Coffee by The White Stripes,** **Breathe (In the Air) by Pink Floyd**

We picked training back up the next day, neither of us bringing up the hot springs. I thought about asking her why she lied, but instead, devoted all my energy to something else.

Adrian.

In between routines over the next few days, I asked her questions about him. Most of them harmless but opened the door for more inquisition. Usually, she was the chatty one and I remained quiet, responding to her with a grunt or curt reply, so naturally, the change in my attitude pleased her. She answered every question with excitement and in great detail, which was hard to hear a lot of the time but helped me piece together the puzzle that was Adrian Ivashkov.

If he was hiding something, I wasn't stupid enough to think he'd share it with Rose, so on top of gaining information from her, I ordered a few of my men to discreetly tail him and report back to me. There was something there, I could feel it in my gut. It would just take some time to uncover.

"So Lissa's having some fancy dinner tonight to welcome back my mom apparently." Rose reached her arms towards the tips of her toes and turned her face towards me over the crook of her elbow. "You going?"

Vasilisa had mentioned wanting to host something formal for Guardian Hathaway upon her return so I knew it was only a matter of time before it happened. I nodded to Rose from my seated position across from her.

"Not gonna lie, I kind of hate these posh dinners the Moroi put on. The plated food portions are never as much as when they just leave the entire spread on the table, not to mention I'll have to wear something absurdly binding." She let out a huff, blowing a stray piece of hair away from her face.

I had to agree, I wasn't really looking forward to the dinner either, but for different reasons. I should have been anticipating my chance to examine Adrian myself without relying on second-hand knowledge, but the truth was I was anxious about being in a room with Janine.

I'd been doing my best to avoid her since she returned, although it hadn't been that difficult since she was rarely seen around the castle. Apparently, she would roam off into town for several hours each day, but I didn't bother asking where or why, as long as she was far away from me. Her interrogation last time she was at St. Vlad's left me rattled and with all the new events that had come to pass, I couldn't imagine what questions she had in store for me this time.

Rose continued rambling about the evening as we wrapped things up. "Natalie practically begged me to come to her room to get ready. I'm sure she and Lissa plan to dress me up like their life-size Dhampir doll." She let out an agitated groan and I raised an eyebrow at her in question.

"Why don't you just say no?"

She looked at me, trying her best to mimic my expression. "Have you ever tried telling Natalie, no?"

I thought about how controlling she had been during Vasilisa's coronation. No further explanation was needed. "I see your point."

Rose looked over to the horizon as the sun made its final descent over the hills. "Well, I better get going. Wouldn't want to keep Lady Dashkov waiting."

I nodded again and she sauntered off towards the castle. I couldn't fathom how it would take them hours to get ready for a dinner, but the ways of women were never really my forte, even after living with five of them.

/

The castle smelled of rich foods and freshly lit wicks from the extra candles lining the halls. The Dragomir banners hung along the walls reminding me of when Christian had first come to St. Vladimir's.

Vasilisa and Natalie had really gone above and beyond. It was hard to believe a royal Moroi would be celebrating a Dhampir so extravagantly, but it was another reminder of how accepting St. Vladimir's was compared to other royal courts. Not to mention, Janine had played a key role in helping us against the human invaders so I could understand Vasilisa's desire to offer a grand gesture of thanks.

I walked into the dining hall to see our Queen pointing at the dining table and delving out requests for last-minute details.

"I'm surprised to see you here," I called over to her. She tore her gaze away from the large wooden table towards me and her concentrated brow melted back to normal.

"I guess I've always had some controlling tendencies when it comes to these things," she laughed to herself. "Not nearly to the extent of my dear cousin, in my defense."

"It's not that. I just thought you'd want to spend more time with...your family," I bit out. "That's all."

"Hmm, well it has been hard to find time with Rose. Especially since the two of you started training together."

I was at a loss for words. I thought maybe Rose had finally summed up the courage to tell her sister about her training, but another look at Vasilisa's knowing expression squashed that theory.

"How did you know?"

"Being Queen has its perks." She adjusted a sconce in the middle of the table. "Finding out the whereabouts of my subjects at any given point in time is hardly one of the more challenging tasks."

"And you haven't tried to convince her to stop?"

"No." There was a long pause as she dusted off her fingertips and began walking towards me. The uncertainty in her decision was becoming more apparent the closer she grew. "As unsettling as it is, Rose has never been someone to let others tell her what to do. I want the best for her, her recovery at the top of the list, but I think it could potentially be good for the both of you."

I recalled the conversation we had upon Rose's arrival. Despite her many protests, she eventually conceded to keep my past with Rose to herself—although she seemed hellbent on pushing that line to its limits. First, with her practically forcing me to tend to Rose's injuries and now condoning something I knew she felt uneasy about.

"We agreed that—"

"I know what we agreed," she cut in determinedly. "And I've kept my word. I haven't uttered a peep about your past, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stand in the way of Rose getting to know you."

I stared back at her with my jaw clenched shut. I was torn between arguing with her as my friend, and obeying her as my Queen.

"Don't do that," she sighed. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, but don't deliberately hold back. I'll always accept your honesty whether I want to hear it or not, as I hope you would with me."

I relaxed a little but still remained quiet, deciding that arguing with her was aimless.

"I can't begin to imagine how hard all of this is for you, but the only thing I could see being worse in this situation is her not knowing you at all. It's only natural with your position that she would be interested, even without—"

She stopped herself short and looked away, biting back the words she unintentionally started. There were few things that Vasilisa kept from those she trusted, one of which tended to revolve around unguarded use of Spirit.

"What is it," I quietly asked. "Did you see something?"

The young Moroi bit her bottom lip and wrung her hands at her waist. If I were feeling the least bit snide I would throw her words about honesty back at her, but quarreling thoughts running across her brow stopped me from any childish behavior.

"It's...more of a _feeling_ ," she timidly let out. "I—I can sense something in her, pulling towards you. Whether it's bond-related or just purely knowing her my entire life, I can tell. She wants to know you, Dimitri. And not this surface-level version you've been presenting. The real you."

I cleared my throat as the doors behind me yawned open. Vasilisa's jade eyes held me for an extra moment, willing me to give her some kind of answer. Eventually, she plastered a beaming white smile on her face and turned to whoever had just entered the room, giving me space to finally breathe.

When the rest of the guests arrived I strategically placed myself at the far end of the table beside Christian. I knew he wouldn't drag me into an array of meaningless conversations and I could freely observe Lord Ivashkov without constant interruption.

So far, his only unusual behavior had been when Guardian Hathaway had entered. He greeted her with demure and respect, even more so than what was expected from someone in his class, but it was the guest that followed behind her that caused a stir. Abe Mazur slithered in, grinning contently like he had just come from a delectable meal rather than going _to_ one. I didn't think Vasilisa had extended him an invitation, but he had brought her sister home after all. I thought it strange that he would be present on that particular occasion, but as he greeted the Queen with Janine beside him, it seemed as if he and Guardian Hathaway knew each other.

 _Had he come with her as a guest? Was she the one he claimed to be waiting for?_

A mix of reactions splashed across the faces of the room. Rose's lip curled up with aversion as her arms crossed over her chest. Others looked either shocked or offended as if something malodorous wafted through the air around him. The ability for a single man to cause such a strong response just by walking into a room would've been comical if I didn't agree with them.

I expected Adrian to follow suit, given the reputation of the Ivashkovs and their imperious attitudes but was surprised to see him receive Zmey with friendly enthusiasm. He shook the serpent's hand excitedly and gestured for a couple of empty seats for them to grab. Rose took that opportunity to position herself at the opposite end of the table and seemed to be purposefully turning her gaze away from them.

When Vasilisa stood at the head to propose a toast to her guests, Rose glanced at me and offered a small smile. Thoughts of my conversation with her sister began to rise.

 _So what if she wants to get to know me? She'd said as much on multiple occasions._

 _But where in any of that is the consideration for_ my _decision? For_ my _stability?_

I started to feel a rush of misplaced anger and abruptly turned away from both of them, taking a few gulps of water to wash down the sour taste in my mouth.

As dinner began, so did the topics of conversation. Since this was the first time most of us had all been in a room together in a while, there was no surprise that they headed towards our recent victory.

"It's such a relief to finally feel safe in the kingdom again," began Natalie. "And with so many of you here who played an instrumental role in that. It's a shame Natasha couldn't be here as well."

I peered up to see Natalie looking at me as if I would be the one to provide commentary on the topic.

"Yes, well her duties back home have been keeping her busy," Christian stepped in. "Rumors of uprisings have spread and she's been working diligently to ensure our relationship with the Dhampir community isn't affected."

"I heard this as well in some of the Southern communities." For the Head of Treasury, Shamus seemed to always be well versed in foreign gossip. "There are even a few rulers who have said to have sided with the fanatics and adopted new, ridiculous laws. It's preposterous!"

Murmurs of agreeance echoed around the room. I could see Vasilisa begin to tense and hoped someone would change the subject soon. This wasn't the first we were hearing of this and the Queen had been growing increasingly anxious. Rose reached up to put her arm on her sister's shoulder, offering her a quick moment of comfort.

I'm not sure how it happened, it was mere coincidence really, but out of all the places in the room, my eyes somehow found their way to her exposed arm. Her sleeve had moved almost down to her elbow, revealing the tanned skin, but there was something there marring it. I only spotted it for an instant before her other hand reached up and tugged the sleeve down, but the image was immediately burned into my skull.

Bite marks.

The punctures were faded and small, but I still couldn't believe I hadn't noticed them before. It had been dark in the hot springs, and even with our heightened senses, I was trying my best to avoid looking at her that night. In training, Rose always wore long sleeves but I thought it was due to the cool weather. _Could she have been purposefully hiding them?_

It would've made sense for her to be ashamed of them. The only ones who wore scars like those proudly were Blood Whores, Dhampir women who willingly let Moroi men bite them during sex in exchange for favors—or even just for the thrill of the high. And that's exactly what this vile, two-faced, narcissistic, sack of shit had reduced her to. A Blood Whore.

"Speaking of your recent victory," chimed Adrian from across the table, "whatever became of that Sage Princess?"

I wanted to drag him out of the room by his neck and slam him into the hard dirt until his eyes bled.

"I—I'm not sure," Vasilisa looked pensively. "Why do you ask?"

"It seems strange that the human King would go through so much trouble to find her, then just stop after one defeat."

"Maybe she was returned to him after all," Natalie supplied.

"If she was," Alberta Petrov added, "It's unlikely the Sage King would set aside his pride to admit his mistake."

The conversation continued but merely became a hazy fog around me. I was engrossed in thought. I spent who knows how long trying to come up with excuses to leave until something Adrian said reclaimed my attention.

"You couldn't be more wrong, they aren't inferior to us. In fact, without the humans, we wouldn't be here. I find them quite fascinating actually."

Shamus quirked his eyebrows at him scrupulously. "Is that so?"

It was obvious Shamus wasn't imploring for more information, but the pompous peacock went on anyways. "Not only are they the source of our life force—a gift, mind you, not an obligation—but they're unity with Moroi resulted in the creation of Dhampir. An entirely new species that never would have been possible between members of our own race."

He took a deep sip from his goblet and turned it in his hand as he set it down, examining the dragon etchings along the silver stem. "Their lives are so delicate and fleeting, yet they live with such passion. Going on quests to prove their honor to their king. Traveling from town to town with endless sleepless nights just to barter trade for their goods. Waging wars against an impenetrable enemy for a lost loved one. It's quite romantic, wouldn't you say?"

"I think the word you're looking for is idiotic," Christian huffed under his breath.

"You know," Natalie chirped. "If you're hoping to learn more about humans you should ask Dimitri." I could feel eyes shift towards me as I kept my focus fixed on my still full plate.

"Mmm-hmm. He spent years with humans in his homeland. _Vikings_ to be exact." She said it like it was a juicy rumor she was itching to get out.

"Natalie," Lissa hissed over to her cousin.

"Really Belikov? I hear Vikings can be pretty unrestrained in their prime. I didn't peg you for the type," Adrian called over.

"I'm sorry, Natalie whispered to Lissa and me. "Was I not supposed to say anything? My father told me once, I didn't think it was a secret."

"You know that Guardian Belikov values his privacy."

"It's fine," I said through gritted teeth, trying not to let my agitation boil over. Natalie was a lot of things; naive, talebearing, and honestly a bit annoying, but she didn't have a malicious bone in her body. Getting angry with her was like getting angry at a new pup for spilling a bucket of water. It was wet and messy, but inconsequential.

Where Adrian was a full-grown thoroughbred, pissing on my boots.

"That's commemorable Dimitri," Alberta nodded in my direction. "It's no wonder your fighting skills are so finely tuned."

"Commemorable indeed," Adrian piped in yet again. "If it wouldn't be a bother, I'd relish in hearing some of your tales alongside them."

Thoughts of another person at the table he'd _relish_ in threatened to send me over the edge and I brusquely pushed out of my seat. "Pardon me Your Majesty, I—"

Before I could leave one of the doors slid open and a messenger came stumbling in. All heads turned to the young lad walking so fast he was practically tripping over his feet. "My Queen," he said with an exasperated bow. "This just came for you from the Western Isles. They said it was urgent."

She delicately took it from his raised hand and ran a finger over the seal. "Queen Tatiana's seal," she murmured to herself before quickly opening it.

When she was finished reading it, she flipped it over to inspect the back and gripped it tighter in her hands. Her head shook back and forth with her eyes still fixed on it as if she couldn't believe what was written across the page. "This doesn't make sense."

"What did it say," Chris rose from his chair to stand beside her.

Her eyes glanced over to Adrian hesitantly.

"What did it say," Adrian repeated as he slowly stood from the table. It was the first sense of seriousness he'd displayed all evening.

We all waited quietly until the Queen finally decided to speak up.

"The—the Western Isles have sided with... _them_."

"With them," Natalie asked as Chris read the letter over Lissa's shoulder, "Surely you don't mean—"

"That's exactly what she means," Chris blurted. "According to Tatiana, Dhampir in the Western Isles are now being enlisted to join their regiment at 12 years of age and those who cannot fight are being given positions within the kingdom without pay. Just like those íonachta fucks said."

The room erupted.

"What?!"

"How can that be?"

"Treasonist swines!"

"What did you expect? It was only a matter of time."

Adrian strode towards Vasilisa and I planted my feet in his path to act as a human barricade. Without even looking up at me he leaned around my arm and fervently asked, "Can I see the letter? Please."

Unwilling to shift my focus from anywhere but the man in front of me, the letter slowly crept into my vision from behind my back as Adrian gratefully took it and began reading.

"I don't understand," he said as he read over the letter for at least the fifth time. "This is unmistakably her writing, but she would never agree to this. There must be some kind of mistake."

I wasn't sure if he was speaking to himself, or the room but the other guests took it upon themselves to respond.

"That's rich coming from her kin. How can we trust anything you say?"

"For all we know, you were sent here to spy on us."

"Stop acting the maggot, Shamus. You look like a bollox throwing around ridiculous claims like that." It was obvious Rose was trying to diffuse the situation with her colorful cursing, but I could feel her bite sharpening behind each word.

Shamus might have been unwilling to test her limits, but Chris wasn't so easily bent to submission. "What's so ridiculous about it," the young Lord prodded. "Wasn't it his drawing found on those bandits that tried to kidnap you?"

"Yes, and he admitted that." Rose finally stood, her knuckles pressing into the wood surface of the table.

"Pfft yeah. Probably to avoid getting caught."

"Watch it Christian."

"Or what," the Moroi's voice rose to just below a shout as the flames from the candles in the room all simultaneously grew brighter. "Just because you've put your blind faith in this guy doesn't mean we all have to. His goddam kingdom is siding with the very people who want to take your family down and you expect us to just say, 'oh, but not him. He's different.' I'm. Not. Buying. It!"

The room cried out at his side.

"Yeah."

"Here, here."

"Arrest him!"

Rose's palms slammed into the table so hard I thought I heard it crack. But before she could unleash her verbal assault on Christian, another voice joined in.

"If I may." Unlike everyone else at the table, Abe was the epitome of calm. Maybe even slightly amused. You would think one would have had to shout at the top of their lungs to be heard in that room, but Zmey's collected demeanor in that situation was unnerving enough to capture everyone's attention. "Young Master Adrian is not to blame here. I have met many people throughout my travels; young, old, royal, destitute. None of it matters. One must look beyond such things to understand who a man is."

Abe twisted a giant ruby ring on his finger before placing his hands behind his back. "Although he may possess some qualities you all find unappealing, I would hardly say conniving and backstabbing are among them. This man has done nothing but show his loyalty to this kingdom. He not only rescued your Princess, but returned her back to you without asking anything in return. That said Princess stands by his side now, yet you are still skeptical of him. So, what are we to do?"

"Let me guess, you have a suggestion," Chris snidely replied.

Janine Hathaway cast the Lord a cutthroat glare that would have made even the most rigid Moroi blush.

"That, I do," Abe continued, stroking his dark beard with the flicker of a grin peeking out from behind it. "If his word or that of his betrothed are not good enough, then let's say we leave it to someone undoubtedly trustworthy."

Everyone's eyes shifted towards Vasilisa, assuming it was her she meant, until he gave them a reason to all turn to me.

"Belikov, what say you?"

"What," The thought started in my head and came out of Chris' mouth.

"Do you deny it? High Constable Belikov is tasked with protecting this kingdom at all costs. If he deems this man unsafe, then it is law. Same goes for those he considers harmless. So, I ask again: what say you Guardian Belikov? Should we arrest this man?"

Zmey earned his moniker for a reason. He was not only as devious as a serpent, but as cunning as one too. If I had Queen Tatiana's nephew arrested and thrown in the dungeon, it would cause an all-out war with the Western Isles. One that without the help from all our allies, we were likely to lose. They had more money and more resources than St. Vladimir's could afford. Not to mention backing from the íonachta now.

I wanted nothing more than to see that spoiled Moroi wasting away in a dark, sodden cell, but when others in the room began to repeat the question, I replied, "No."

I finally turned away from Adrian, whose face was still fixed on his great aunt's letter. I was pretty sure he hadn't heard a single thing that had happened since receiving it from Vasilisa. Rose's shoulders visibly sagged with relief as everyone else began to quietly murmur in smaller groups.

Except, of course, Christian. "So what, Dimitri. You're saying you trust the guy? That we should believe what he says?"

Rose looked up at me, a hopefulness in her eyes. She was happy to finally have someone on her side besides a known pirate. She must have assumed that all the things she had been telling me about Adrian in our training had sunk in and I'd finally decided to give him a chance. But that wasn't the case. And I wouldn't lie...not even for her.

So without turning away, I replied to Christian and to the room again, "No."

Shock washed over Rose's face and the murmurs grew again. Adrian seemed to finally come out of whatever daze he was in and distractedly said, "If you'll excuse me I must retire."

"Adrian, wait," Rose called after him, but he was already out the door. She shot me a menacing glare that rivaled her mother's as she rushed by me like a whirlwind.

/

When it was clear there was no salvaging the dinner, Vasilisa politely dismissed her guests, assuring them we would reconvene to discuss after she had some time to digest the information. I offered to stay behind and discuss what she'd learned but she told me she needed to look at the facts without any biased opinions first, shooting me and Christian a pointed glare.

I became immediately irritated by that statement. Not because it was discrediting to my position, but because it was true. I may not have shown as much distaste for the Moroi Lord as Christian had, but I didn't hide it either. I hated that my personal opinions of Adrian were clouding my judgment. I needed some time alone to decompress and get my mind straight.

Instead of going back to my quarters, I wandered over to one of the smaller suites that were occasionally used for more intimate meetings or lounging. Tasha had used it often to draft letters to our allies or meet with Vasilisa after our Council meetings when I was unable to. As hesitant as I was to talk to her in the past, I found myself wishing she was there.

I needed someone with an impartial perspective to talk things through with me. Someone to help me see things clearly in order to stop letting my emotions rule my decisions. I thought about sending her a letter, but the amount of time it would take to get there and for a response to come back we could already be sitting in a new pile of shit.

However, writing down my thoughts had helped me sometimes in the past so there was no harm in trying it again—even if no one would be reading it but me. I began rummaging through the desk in the center of the room and found some parchment and a quill and ink. I laid out a few pieces and dipped the tip into the dark liquid, when a storm of fury burst through the door.

"What the hell, Dimitri?!"

I looked around for an exit behind me, but Rose was blocking the doorway and the window was the only other opening. Even if jumping out a window to avoid a conversation with her wouldn't come off as completely deranged, the landing from four stories above wasn't necessarily ideal either.

So instead, I stood there wordlessly hoping she'd just get frustrated and go away.

After a couple of moments she raised her eyebrows and shook her head bitterly. "Seriously? There's nothing you have to say to me?"

Again, I refused to respond, hardening my expression and crossing my arms over my chest.

"That's your M.O. isn't it? When things get messy you just shut down and go silent. Fine, then I'll talk." She slammed the door shut behind her, sending a short burst of air against her loose strands of hair.

"What you did tonight was a total dick move. Even for you." She was clearly trying to get a rise out of me. Rose placed her hands on the back of an armchair and gripped the plush fabric. "Don't think for one second I bought this whole 'let's get to know Adrian' game you've been playing in training. If you truly knew me before, you'd know I'm not that naive."

That admittedly caught me off guard.

"But I thought if I went along with it and gave you the answers you were seeking you'd actually start to warm up to him. Instead, you throw him to the wolves when all he needed was just a little backing up. Is it really that hard for you to see that his intentions are good?"

Good? She was either ignorant or brainwashed if she thought using his future bride as a blood sack was anything but good. "Egotsentricheskiy ublyudok."

"ENGLISH," her frustrated shout reverberated off the walls.

"How can I see good in someone who values his intended bride less than her worth?"

Her nose scrunched in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

I deliberately shifted my focus down to her arm where I had seen the marks earlier before returning back to her incensed glare. It only took a second for realization to strike. Her hand came up to cover her arm, even though the fabric of her dress was already doing the job.

"How did—when did you—" she started twice before wafting her hand in the air. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter." She brushed a few pieces of hair away from her face in an attempt to compose herself a little more. "Despite it being none of your goddamn business, it's not what you think."

"Or it's exactly what I think," I spat out as I finally moved around the desk to sit on the edge.

She let out a huff through her nose as her face contorted into a scowl. "On our journey back to St. Vlad's a horse got it's hoof stuck in a divot and couldn't stop quickly enough. It's leg snapped and the mare fell to the ground. A few of Abe's men suggested we kill it and use it for meat, but Adrian wanted to heal it."

Her scornful look started to melt as she looked towards her arm. "He hadn't had any blood in days and I knew he couldn't handle that kind of magic without serious consequences," her eyes darted up to me, filled with confidence, "so I offered him mine."

When she finished I sat there quietly, this time in contemplation rather than stubbornness. I had automatically assumed that those bite marks were the result of something sordid. Granted, it wasn't exactly a far-fetched notion, many Dhampir had fallen to similar temptations, including myself, but I realized I hadn't even considered giving either of them the benefit of the doubt. I usually prided myself on using logic, but instead, I had jumped to a conclusion and projected my aversion for the act onto them without hesitation.

"You've—you've done it before...haven't you?" She spoke lowly. Like the secret could shatter the room if it rose above a whisper.

I shouldn't have been surprised, the old Roza could read me like the palm of her hand. She was constantly pointing out things that no one else had been able to pick up on, even things that I had a hard time admitting to myself. Yet, it still seemed strange that this Rose—who barely knew me—could still do the same.

"Yes," there was no use trying to hide my shame. "Once. And I vowed to never let it happen again."

She didn't ask for any more on the subject. Instead, she reverted back to her original reasons for barging in. "So let me get this straight," she began counting off her fingers. "You pretend you want to know more about Adrian when in actuality you've already decided that he's a right git that can't be trusted. You use me to try and get dirt on him. And you have Guardians waste their time following him around?"

"Yeah, Adrian told me about those too," she shot at me before I could ask.

"You know, Dimitri, I expected this from Christian, the other guys, and maybe even Lissa, but I thought _you_ of all people would have at least tried to accept him."

Even if Rose couldn't remember anything about our past and my selfish reasons for not liking the guy, I couldn't see how she came to that conclusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Rose's anger started to dissolve and a wave of disappointment washed over the room. "From what I can tell so far, you're the type of man whose word matters to him, so when you said you wanted to be friends I thought you meant it. But honestly, you've been acting like anything but."

This time, she didn't bother waiting for a response.

I remained still for a while after she left, sitting on the desk and looking around the quiet room. Eventually, I dropped my arms and got up to walk to the door, but found myself walking back to the desk again. I repeated that same path an embarrassing amount of times when I felt something wet on the front of my tunic. I looked down to see black ink smudged across the left side of my chest.

"Ideal'nyy"

It was then I finally realized I was still holding onto that damn quill. I clenched it in my hand with the intention of snapping it in half, but something stopped me. I thought about what my original intent was and made my way behind the desk. As I sat down, I pulled the parchment towards me and examined the quill. It was slightly bent but the tip was undamaged. So once again, I dipped it into the inkpot, placed it against the parchment, and began writing.

 _Dear Roza,_

* * *

 **A/N:** Hi! I know it's been forever. I'm starting to feel very socially awkward. I went from a 3-month maternity leave where I was sequestered to my home with the bb, then had about a 2-month reprieve before all this mess started and was sequestered to said home once again. Someone is going to have to teach me how to interact with people again after all of this is over.

Anyway, I hope you're staying safe and sane and that this chapter could provide you a bit of entertainment to pass the time. Thanks for all of you who have stuck with this story from the get-go and for the newbies who just found it recently, welcome! All of your reviews and kind messages lit that fire under me to finally carve out enough time to get this story updated.

Also, a good friend pointed out to me that there was a post on Tumblr by romitritrashsocialworker naming HW in her top Romitri fanfics. I'm sure this was written decades ago bc it's been about that long since I've posted (heh) but I was floored! I'm always shocked when people actually read my writing but when it's listed as a fav too I get super giddy. So thank you to whoever you are! Also, your posts are hilarious and farrrr too relatable to this fandom.

Lastly, a very special thanks to TiA995 and ohorpheuss for helping me get this chapter finished and for being just all-around awesome people. Even if I wasn't already determined to finish, there's no way in hell they would ever let me give up on HW.

As always, thanks for reading.


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